Peaceful One
by 123thinkbright
Summary: Sakura has no choice but to move to back to her old town, but she can't complain because one of the people she loves the most is there, and she makes some friends - but it's high school. Things can't always run smoothly, now can they. Shika/Saku!
1. Chapter 1

Hey Everyone! Welcome to my first - or second...depends on how you want to look at it - story of Shika/Saku. I love this pair, and I wish there were more stories, but oh well. I've been working on this story for a while now, but I wanted to be ahead before I posted it up - I'm on the fifth chapter!

**IMPORTANT NOTE DUE TO STORY:** The way I'll go about this story is that I'll update a new chapter every friday. The upcoming one doesn't count, so for Chapter 2, you'll have to wait until next friday. If I miss one week, then I'll put up two chapters in the next. Got it? Great.

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Naruto. I just own one character in this story, but I can't give it away ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>She watched as the scenery of green and brown rushed passed her. There she was, in the passenger seat, leaving her home, her childhood; basically her whole life. Does she regret it? Well, she kind of can't. It's not like she had much of a choice in the matter anyway. Oh well. At least she's going somewhere familiar, with someone she absolutely loves. It's not like she's gunna be a moody teenager, who hates the place she's moving to, makes an enemy the second she gets to her new school, and later falls in love with one of her classmates, and completely changes her ways. This isn't a story – its real life. (<strong>AN: I just had to say that X]**) Nah, she's been to her new home a few times before, it's just been a while. But thinking about it, and the one person she'll see there, makes her smile. It didn't go unnoticed, at least not by the driver next to her.

"What's with that smile Sakura?" smirked the young man. "Is the scenery getting you emotional?"

"Who are you to call emotional Sai?" said Sakura. The third person in the car, another young man, laughed.

"You're way more emotional than both, me and Sakura combined!"

"Oh shut up Naruto."

"Just let it out Sai," said Naruto. "Scream if you must. Whatever it is you want to do – just let me take a picture of it. That way, we'll always remember that you're human."

Sakura let out a laugh mixed with a scream as Sai let go of the wheel to reach back and give a few playful punches to the third passenger. The car swerved into the opposite lane, but Sai soon quickly took control of the car again. The next fifteen minutes were them yelling at each other, and making fun of each other, until they finally calmed down. Sakura reached over to the back seat and took out a digital camera.

"Smile you guys," she exclaimed. "Or at least, try on your part Sai."

The car swerved again before they heard a click. While Naruto and Sai were having another argument, Sakura took the time to look at the picture. She was the closest – smiling and her jade eyes a little wide due to the car swerving again. Even though she's been used to it from looking in a mirror every day, she couldn't help but let her eyes fall on her pink hair, most of it pulled back by a navy blue headband that Naruto had given her and Sai a few weeks ago. Her hair reached lower than her shoulders, nearly to her mid-back. She had cut it short once, and even though she had liked the new look at the time, she figured it was time to let it grow back; he likes it long anyway. Sakura smiled happily at how smooth and bright her creamy skin looked. The cream she bought was really paying off – her face has never been that smooth. Lying against her chest was a necklace with a small circular mirror that had been engraved. Two birds were on a twig, surrounded by the words, '_Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life_.' It was her most prized possession, considering how much _he_ had spent on it. He always did know how to touch her heart…

Looking back at the picture, Sakura almost laughed at Naruto's expression. He had his fingers in his mouth, pulling his cheeks farther to the side, with his tongue sticking out, and his indigo eyes both aimed to look at his nose. His messy, blonde hair was held back by his favorite headband that he's had for as long as they could remember, and his orange shirt had a ketchup stain from the burgers they ate before they got on the road. Sakura has known Naruto for many years. He had always been isolated from all the other kids, for reasons unknown to them at the time, but Naruto made sure he was known in their small town, even if it was as the jokester, or the clown. Sakura had unfortunately been the victim of one of his pranks that ended up with her suffering from a concussion, a broken leg, bruised ribs and burnt hair. After a few weeks of healing, and hours of apologizing, Sakura and Naruto became inseparable.

Sai was on the far right of the picture, smirking with his arms crossed over his chest – well, that explains the car swerving. His jet black hair was short from the back, but the front would have covered his eyes if not for the headband on his forehead, just like Naruto's. He had on a tight, black muscle shirt that gave a pretty good idea of how nicely built his abs were. His skin was a pale color, almost as if it were gray. His eyes matched the color of his hair, like two endless pools of black. Sai had always been a mystery, and he definitely let that show. Sai was never really a social person; he was always by himself, making abstract drawings, putting on a fake smile at random times – almost as if he was devoid of human emotions. Sakura and Naruto were in a depression at that time, until Sai got into their conversation, and rather rudely made them realize that it wasn't the end of the world. It took some getting used to, but they both began to accept Sai for who he was: an indifferent, blunt artist. The pinkette and the blonde became an important part of his life, that they had been his first human subjects for his drawings.

Still smiling from the picture, Sakura started singing "The song that gets on everybody's nerves". Sai of course joined in, leaving Naruto confused by the song unknown to him. Little did he know that he would rather jump out of a plane, thousands of miles from the ground, _without_ a parachute. He actually almost jumped out of the car. Almost 45 minutes passed before he wanted to rip his hair off.

"…song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves…"

"Come on guys, stop."

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, and this is how it goes…"

"That's enough."

Quiet.

"I mean it…"

Quiet.

"…don't do it…"

"…I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves -"

"OH COME ON!"

"– and this is how it goes..."

"STOP IT!"

Quiet.

"I MEAN IT!"

Quiet.

"Are you guys gunna stop?"

Quiet.

"…you are gunna stop right…?"

Quiet.

"….guys?"

From then on, the ride was completely silent, at least other than Naruto trying to make the others talk. Even though he didn't see it, Sakura was trying her best not to burst out laughing at Naruto's random outbursts. Even Sai was having trouble to not show any emotion on his face. Naruto on the other hand had gone from angry, to tearful, to annoyed, and back to tearful. After two hours, they decided to give him a break.

"…please guys? I can't take it anym –"

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves -"

"FINALLY! Wait – aw man!"

"…and this is how it goes…"

"Really..?"

Seeing Naruto's desperate eyes tearing up made the two people in front laugh until they felt a pain on their sides. Sai even had to stop the car from laughing so much. Naruto was so surprised by this, and would've been angrier, but just hearing them laughing so hard made him want to join in. When the laughter died down, the three of them just sat there, cheeks hurting from all the smiling. After a while, Sakura started laughing softly that soon became mixed with a few sobs. Naruto and Sai's smiles soon faded as tears ran down their friend's cheeks as she slowly started to break down. With a lump in his throat, Sai reached to grab Sakura's hand and held it up to his lips, placing small kiss on her knuckles before placing it on his cheek. Naruto put a hand on her arm and rested his chin on her shoulder, gently leaving a kiss on her temple. Wiping away her tears, Sakura gave a broken laugh at the boys' actions.

"Y-you guys are such idiots," cried Sakura. "Heh, I love you guys…"

"Will you be alright Sakura?" asked Sai. Though his voice didn't express anything, the other two passengers knew he was worried.

"Y-yeah," replied Sakura. "Or at least, I-I will be. Sorry, I guess I'm just-"

"We know," said Naruto, giving her a small smile. "Don't worry about it." Sakura nodded gratefully and quickly fixed herself up. When she was done, Sai got back on the road and drove to their destination.

"You guys won't replace me will you?" said Sakura, a smile tugging her lips. "'Cause if you do, I'll have to come back and beat you guys to a pulp."

"Sakura," said Sai, his voice deep and an eyebrow raised, "the three of us have been together for almost 5 years -"

"And you're the only person we know with legit pink hair," Naruto put in before Sai continued.

"And you have strength that could match 10 men on steroids. How can we possibly replace you?"

Naruto put a hand on Sakura's shoulder, beaming at her. "You're our Sakura."

Sakura grinned at their words. The rest of the car ride was in a comfortable silence, with some jokes and banters here and there. Another hour passed before they reached their destination: Konoha. Even though the three of them had been born there, they had all been raised somewhere else. After moving a few times for each of them, they found each other. Now, it was a rather bittersweet feeling as they passed the border onto their homeland. Sakura had of course been here many times before, so it was good to see how not much had changed since her last visit. For Naruto and Sai though, it was like they knew where they were, and were familiar with most of what they saw, but it was still so different to them. Compared to where they lived now, which was surrounded by trees, no people walking around, and open land, Konoha was quiet, with two story houses, people walking all over the place, and – well, quiet. This made Sakura sigh. As much as she loved having some peace and quiet, it's gunna be hard living without Naruto's yelling from miles away.

After another few minutes of driving, Sai parked the car in the driveway in front of a white, two stories house. The house was very nice and simple. It had two large windows in the bottom on each side, with the door in between. The top had three windows: two squared ones on each side, both having rails on them, with a circular one in the middle. The roof was a dark brown, really making the white stand out. Nicely cut rose bushes surrounded the front of the house, and the lawn smelled as if it had been mowed recently. The door step was white wood, leading up to a dark brown, wooden door. It was simple and Sakura new that the inside wasn't exactly fancy as one might expect, but she loved the house. It was a good thing too because she'll have to live here from now on.

**:)(:**

Across the street, a bit far off from Sakura and the guys, but still in clear view, was a field. It didn't seem very lively, except with a few kids that seemed their age that were running around and hanging out. Among them was a girl with a long, blonde, almost white, ponytail. She was the first to notice an unfamiliar black truck pull up in front of a house. From what she could see, she was able to make out the car to be a black 2011 Cadillac Escalade EXT, and there were two people in the front. It was hard to know for sure, but it made clear that there were more people when a girl and boy both stepped out from the other side of the truck.

"You know Ino, it's not polite to stare," said a brown haired boy next to her, smirking. Ino stuck out her tongue at him before looking back at the three strangers. One was a girl with a modest shade of pink hair, wearing a red halter top with some jeans that fit perfectly around her legs. The other was a blonde boy with an orange shirt and black pants. Were those…whiskers? On his face? And the last was another boy with black hair and really pale skin, wearing a black muscle shirt and black jeans.

"Who are they?" asked the Ino girl to the boy next to her. The boy shrugged as the subjects of their conversation went to the trunk of the car.

"Uh, people who are moving into the neighborhood?"

"Wow Kiba, I didn't know you smart enough to state the obvious," said Ino sarcastically. The boy bumped shoulders with her, a playful smile on his face. They didn't even notice one of their friends run to their side in a matter of seconds, a look of awe on his face.

"Who is that glorious looking female?" exclaimed the boy. The other two raised their eyebrows in surprise at the boy with a bowl cut now next to them.

"Lee?" asked Kiba. "How did you get here so fast? You were on the other side of the field with Choji and Kankuro!"

"What's going on?" demanded another female voice. A girl with blonde hair put up in four ponytails walked up to them, rolling her eyes at Lee's amazed face expression.

"Some new kids in the neighborhood," replied Kiba with a shrug. "Huh, I've never seen anyone with pink hair before. What about you Temari?" The girl shook her head and laughed at Lee's loving gaze.

"No to the pink hair," said Temari. "But wow. I wouldn't mind a car like that."

"I must know her name!" exclaimed Lee, clearly not listening to the other three. "I am sure it is as beautiful as her youthful face!" The second they heard the word 'youthful', the other three just rolled their eyes.

**:)(:**

Sakura had noticed a group of kids on the far side of the field. Some of them seemed to be staring at her and the guys. Or maybe at Sai's Escalade? She had to admit, it was a really nice car. Without being aware of what she was doing, Sakura started running her hands on her hair, flatting it down, and untangling a few strands. Naruto, who had been taking out a few boxes and suitcases, noticed his friend's behavior and laughed.

"Who are you trying to look pretty for Sakura?" said the fox-like boy. Sakura lower her hands and smacked his arm.

"Shut up Naruto," she said. "I was just -"

"You look fine Sakura," stated Sai, allowing a small smile to touch his lips. "You know he'll think you look beautiful no matter what." Sakura blushed, and opened her mouth to speak, but didn't get the chance before a voice rang out from behind her.

"Is that who I think it is? Is that my sweet Sakura?"

Sakura spun around at the sound of his voice. Her heart nearly stopped as her eyes fell on the most wonderful person she has ever seen. Tears threatened to fall from the happiness she felt at the sight of him. Slowly, a smile started placing itself on her face as he opened his arms wide, reaching out to her. He looked just as he had over a year ago. His hair white as snow with a bold spot on the top of his head, a smile, nearly covered by a white mustache, gracing his amicable face, his jade eyes shining at the sight of the of the lovely young woman standing a few feet away from him. There he was. Yasuo Haruno. Before Naruto or Sai could even put down the boxes to wave at the elder man, Sakura threw herself into her grandfather's arms.

"Baba!"

Sakura's grandfather wrapped his arms around tightly around his granddaughter, picking her up and swinging her around. Sakura finally released the tears in her eyes as she felt the warmth of her grandfather's arms surround her. Sai leaned back on his car, crossing his arms over his chest, with a soft expression on his face. Even though he wasn't exactly the best at expressing himself and showing emotion, he knew that there was something in the scene before him. He knew that what Sakura felt for the elder man was strong – almost as strong as the bond between them and Naruto: he was not good at expressing emotions, but he wasn't devoid of them. Turning his head to the side, he saw Naruto smiling proudly. Naruto had only met the man once, but in that one meeting, he knew that the guy lived up to his name. Yasuo Haruno made them feel at peace and happy. He had more life than the three of them combined, and that was saying something, especially because Naruto was one of the liveliest persons ever. Seeing those two together made him happy…

But it also made both boys sad. Seeing Sakura with her grandfather, happy and smiling, made them realize that she is going to be just fine without them. She didn't need them to make her feel better when she had a rough day; she didn't need them to make her laugh when she was mad; she had what she needed right where she was standing. Seeing her there…smiling…Only one thought ran through both of their heads: '_If only she knew…_'

After finishing up taking the boxes into the room that would be occupied by Sakura, the three teenagers stood next to the black truck. It was already dark out, and the field that had been previously occupied was now empty. The boys had already said their goodbyes to Baba (**A/N: I'm just gunna call him that from now on.**), promising to visit as soon as possible, and making him promise in return to take care of their best friend. Baba agreed of course, but not before he had a twinkle in his eyes and gave them a knowing look. Now, they stood out by the car, waiting for someone to break the silence. It was Naruto who decided to speak.

"Will you miss us Sakura?" he asked her in a quiet voice. Sakura smiled softly, a tear running down her cheek.

"Of course I will," replied the pinkette. "How could I not?"

"We're only a call away Sakura," said Sai. "Whenever you need us, we'll come back."

Sakura lowered her head as more tears ran down her face. "I know," she muttered. Sai sighed as he looked at her. Feeling a nudge on his shoulder, he turned to see Naruto, his eyes seeming a bit distant. Knowing what that look meant, but he just shook his head. Naruto frowned slightly, the determination never leaving his face.

"Sakura," whispered Naruto. As the pinkette slowly raised her head to look at him, Naruto's expression soften, "We- um…" No. He couldn't do it. Sighing, he shrugged. "We're really gunna miss you…" Nodding, and not trusting her voice to speak, Sakura mouthed the words, '_I'll miss you too._'

Sai took in a breath before he wrapped his arms around the girl in front of him. Sakura returned the embrace, allowing a few tears to fall into the black shirt. Sai felt the softness of her hair against his face. Closing his eyes, he held on to the moment as long as he could, before grudgingly letting go. Wiping a tear from the girl's cheek, Sai placed a kiss on her temple, smiling softly before walking to the other side of the car and climbing into his seat. Naruto had been looking away from them while they had their moment, just as he was sure Sai will do for them. Sakura smiled sadly at the blonde before she flung her arms around his neck. Naruto wrapped his arms around her, one hand on her mid-back and the other under the back of her neck. He tightened his hold on her as she started shaking, a few sobs coming out of her mouth, and tears falling from her eyes and onto his neck. He, too, allowed a few tears to fall into her pink hair. Standing there with her in his arms, Naruto couldn't help himself.

"I love you Sakura," he whispered in her ear.

Sobbing silently, she said, "I love you guys too."

He knew she wouldn't understand what he meant. He knew he would get disappointed. But she was there. And he needed to tell her. He didn't get the response he wanted, but just knowing she was still there was enough for him to eventually pull through. Pulling away, Naruto placed a kiss on Sakura's forehead and climbed into the passenger seat.

They drove off in silence, knowing fully well that Sakura would stand outside until they got out of sight. Neither wanted to speak, but there was nothing else to do, and there was no way they would go 4 hours without a word. So it was Sai who decided to break the silence.

"Did you tell her?" he asked. Naruto nodded. "And?" The blonde sighed, closing his eyes.

"It's what you would have expected," replied the blonde. "She loves us…"

"But not the way we love her," finished Sai. Naruto nodded again. "We wouldn't be considered for or by her." Another nod. "She loves us just as she loves her Baba." Another. "We are her family."

"That's a wrong way to think about it," chuckled Naruto rather darkly, causing Sai to smirk.

"True, but it's the only way to accept it. We have to let her go."

Naruto sighed. "We have to let her go." Now it was Sai's turn to nod. From then on, the ride was quiet. Or at least, it was until –

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves -"

"I hate you Sai."

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><p><strong>:)(:<strong>

That's the end of Chapter 1, and I hope you all liked it - Stay tuned next week for Chapter 2! Send me some reviews people! Let me know what you think - flames go somewhere else, helpful tips/suggestions, and criticism is welcomed =D Until next week!


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, so technically it's not Friday, but I just got off work, and this was the only time I could update XP. Anyway, thanks to those who _reviewed_, I really appreciate it. Anyway, here's Chapter 2! (It's longer than the last.)

**IMPORTANT NOTE DUE TO STORY:** (I'm just gunna copy this on each chapter...) The way I'll go about this story is that I'll update a new chapter every friday. The upcoming one doesn't count, so for Chapter 2, you'll have to wait until next friday. If I miss one week, then I'll put up two chapters in the next. Got it? Great.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto! Just the idea of this story.

Enjoy! :)

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><p>"Did you sleep well last night Sakura?"<p>

Climbing down the stairs, Sakura smiled at her Baba as he placed fresh eggs on a white plate on the kitchen table. Walking over to him and giving him a kiss on the cheek, Sakura nodded.

"The bed was as comfortable as I remembered," said Sakura. Sure enough, Sakura's first night at her Baba's house was very welcoming. Her room was just how she had left it over a year ago. The walls were a casual, light green; the top was covered in glow in the dark stars that she had gotten at a young age; pictures and photos of her friends and family were on top of her large wooden chest; the closet, although a bit small, was covered by two mirrors that slid to the side when opened, and her desk had flat screen computer that wasn't there on her last visit. And the bed was…..pure heaven! It was firm enough for her not to sink too deep into the mattress, but soft enough to feel like she was sleeping on a cloud. It was probably her third favorite thing when she went into the house. The second was the bathroom connected to her room. It was white and blue, tiles on the floor, and a makeup counter with a stool and a huge mirror. It was definitely the most amazing bathroom she had ever seen. Her first favorite thing was actually in a different room.

_*Flashback*_

_Sakura walked up the doorstep and into the house after she lost sight of Sai's Escalade. She stood in front of the door for a few minutes, allowing the tears to pour out of her. She knew that she would see them again, but it still hurt watching them go. Her heart literally broke when she saw them drive off, the pain almost making her fall to her knees. After a few minutes, Sakura wiped off the last of the tears, and took a few breaths before walking into the house. Taking in her surroundings, she smiled at the familiarity. Walking in, the kitchen was to the left, made up of white and black tiles and coffee colored walls. The stairs were on the left of the entrance, leading up to a hall that split with rooms on each end. Straight ahead from the entrance was the living room; a sofa was in the middle of the large room, with the chimney behind it, and a large plasma TV on the opposite side of the room. Another, longer couch was by the wall, facing the outside that could be seen by the glass doors at the far end of the room. A person could see that the backyard had a lot of space, with a cherry blossom tree in the far right corner. Sakura was so intrigued by the homey feeling, that she didn't even notice her Baba standing next to her, leaning on the kitchen door frame._

_ "Are you alright Sakura?" he asked the pinkette, nearly laughing when she jumped from hearing his voice. "Oh, I'm sorry for startling you."_

_ "No, no," laughed Sakura. "It's alright Baba. I was just….loving how not much has changed…"_

_ "That's because you haven't seen the upstairs yet," said Baba. Seeing her confused face, he hooked his arm over his granddaughter's and together, they climbed up to the second floor. Reaching the top of the stairs, he led Sakura to the right, and stopped in front of a door on the right of the room that would be hers. Letting go of her arm, Baba put a hand on the doorknob and said, "Before we go in, will you close your eyes for me?" Sakura raised a brow, but closed her eyes all the same. She heard a door open, and then she felt a hand on her shoulder pulling her into the room. After turning on the lights, Baba smiled with a twinkle in his eyes and said, "Alright Sakura. You can open your eyes now."_

_ Upon opening her jade eyes, Sakura gasped at the sight before her. The room was not exactly huge, but it was still pretty big, and the walls were a light brown color, and the floor was white carpet, but it was the things in it that made her love it. In the far left corner next to the window, was a complete drum set. On the left of the door was an acoustic guitar with flower petals stickers glittering from the neck up along the fret board. The top of the body was a brown color, a few leaf stickers glittering along the side of sound hole, ending at the bridge pin. Next to that was an amplifier with a midnight blue electric guitar leaning on it. The electric guitar didn't have any special design like the acoustic one did, but it by itself was incredible to look at. Next to that was a keyboard with a stool and a foot pedal. There were also other instruments like a recorder, a bass guitar, a flute, and much more. Finally, straight ahead from the door was her own personal home recording studio, with a mic stand, speakers, headphones, audio recorders and everything. The whole room was just amazing!_

_ "Oh Baba!" exclaimed Sakura. "I love it! But how – why -?"_

_ "I need to give you a welcoming gift," explained Baba. "I remember you would always be singing and writing songs. Your mom had told me that you loved playing guitar and piano, and that you were getting better at the drums. I figured, why not? You deserve it."_

_ Picking up the acoustic the guitar, Sakura turned to him and asked, "But this would mean loud noise. A __**lot**__ of loud noise." Baba tapped Sakura's nose lightly._

_ "Another thing," he said. "This whole room is soundproof."_

_ "What!"_

_ "Yep. The only way I'll be able to hear you is if you open the window, or if you leave the door slightly open. Other than that, you can be screaming for your life and I won't hear a sound." That caused Sakura to burst out laughing._

_ "That's nice to know Baba," she laughed. "This is great. Thank you so much!"_

_*End of Flashback*_

"I am glad you slept well my sweet Sakura," said Baba, filling up Sakura's cup with orange juice. "I just wish you could have had a day to rest before going to school though."

"It's alright," said Sakura with a small smile. "I missed enough school days since the funeral, and I really don't think I should miss any more." Sighing, Baba sat on the chair next to her, watching her eat before he spoke again.

"How are you holding up?" asked the elder man in a rather heavy tone. "Are you doing ok?"

Nodding, Sakura replied, "Yeah. I mean…I'm doing better than how I was when I heard the news." Seeing Baba frown at her answer, Sakura tried to put on a smile. "I'm fine Baba. Don't worry."

"Sakura," snapped Baba, causing the pinkette's eyes to widen. "I do not want you to put on a fake smile in front of me. I want to see you, so do not hide from me."

At a loss for words, Sakura bowed her head and muttered, "I'm sorry." With a sigh, Baba waved it off, but Sakura didn't let it go. "I do miss them," she said. "When I heard that they were gone…I just couldn't believe it Baba. I mean, I was visiting Naruto at his Uncle Jiraiya's house when I got the call that my parents were dead. Now, it's like I can't feel anything for them. It's like, after hours and days of crying and mourning, that subject just makes me numb…I am sad. But, I'm healing – or at least, I think I am. I am healing…right Baba?"

Not knowing what to say, Baba wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye before placing his hand over his granddaughter's. Even though the gesture was small, it was exactly what Sakura needed at that moment: peace and comfort. The rest of breakfast was silent, but neither needed to speak a word. When that was finished, Baba stood to wash the dishes while Sakura stood by his side, drying. That, of course, led to a small water fight that needed to be cleaned right after. Once that was done, Sakura went up to her room to get ready for her new school. After she finished showering, drying her hair, and brushing her teeth, Sakura went to get dressed. '_Let's see. What to wear? This? Nah. Oooh, how about this?...Never mind. Wait. What am I doing? It's not like I'm trying to impress anybody._' With that, she threw on a green tank top and some blue jeans that hugged on to her legs. There really was no point in putting on any makeup, considering she thought she was pretty enough. She had a modest version of an hourglass shape, with breasts that were a nice C cup size; her waist was slim, but not overly skinny; her legs were long and smooth; sure, she didn't have the kind of body that celebrities have in magazines, but she had one that she couldn't really complain about. '_Like a said, it's not like I'm trying to impress anybody._' Putting on some white converses, a watch, and placing a small kiss on her necklace, she walked out of the bathroom to grab her red backpack. When she reached the stairs, she let out a small gasp before running back to her room. How could she almost forget it? There, hanging off the makeup counter in her bathroom was the navy blue headband that Naruto had given her. Tying the knot under her pink hair, Sakura smiled proudly at her reflection before racing downstairs.

"I'm off to school Baba!" called out Sakura opening the door.

"Good luck Sakura!" she heard from upstairs. "I hope you have a good first day!" With that, Sakura closed the door behind her. '_That makes two of us,_' thought Sakura.

It took Sakura twenty minutes to walk to the school, Konoha Academy. On her way there, she passed by a few kids whom she recognized were at the park the day before. One was a guy with long brown hair and misty lavender eyes; he was standing next to a guy with a black haired ponytail, who had studs in both ears. Along the way, she also saw a guy with dark red hair, light green colored eyes surrounded by black makeup and a tattoo on the left side of his forehead; he was talking to a guy with a large sweater that covered his mouth, with the hood up, and sunglasses, and a girl with brown eyes, with her hair tied up in two buns on her head. Each time Sakura passed by the group of kids, she would have to turn her head to look straight ahead because each time, they would turn their heads and stare at her. She wasn't completely intimidated by this, but she was a bit bothered. '_No matter where I go, it's always the same,' _thought Sakura._ 'I should really start wearing a sign that says "_**This is my natural hair color!**_" I wonder if people will keep staring then…_' Walking into the school, Sakura wished with all her might that Naruto and Sai were with her. They would make a scene for sure, but at least it would take the attention off of the pink haired teenager. '_Those guys are the best,_' thought Sakura with a smile. Finally, she made it to the principal's office, away from the curious eyes. '_Here we go…_'

**:)(:**

Not far from the principal's office was a small classroom with a boy in the far corner of room. He had his black hair up in a spiky ponytail and a bored expression on his face. '_Another week of school, another week of the same old thing,'_ he thought. He looked around the small rectangular room at his classmates. In the very front, his favorite teacher, Asuma-sensei, was sitting behind his desk looking over some essays that they had turned in when they got into the classroom. By the way he kept tapping his pen on the desk, he could tell he was getting desperate for a smoke. Normally, Asuma would light up a cigarette in the middle of class, opening a window to let the smoke out, but ever since his girlfriend made a scene about smoking in class, he tried to take a break. It wasn't really working, but at least he was trying. The rest of the class was a rather small bunch, considering it was an Advance Placement class – how the boy got in the this class was a mystery to him; he could've sworn he did well enough on the test to pass, but not enough to get in an AP class. Anyway, with him included, there were only seven people in the class. It just goes to show that only the best of the best where there.

Everyone had their own table that would initially be for two students. There were four rows and four columns, but the first row was completely empty, and the third column from the window was empty as well. On the second row, two people sat on separate tables. One was a guy named Shino. He sat facing the middle of the room with his back leaning against the window. He had on a large sweater with the hood up and sunglasses. Pretty much the only thing that could be seen of him was his cheekbones and a bit of his forehead. Shino was a huge fan of bugs, and even had a collection of them at home. He was a pretty weird and silent guy, but he didn't mind showing his soft side to his friends. On the table next to his was a guy with long brown hair, tied at his lower back. He had eyes with a slight tint of gray to them, almost a misty lavender color, fair white skin, and an intense expression on his face. Yep, Neji hardly ever softened his expression, unless it had something to do with his cousin, Hinata.

Hinata sat on the table behind Shino, her chair turned a little so she could face both, Shino and her cousin. She had long raven hair with a blue tint to it that reached her lower back, the front having bangs that were cut right above her eyes. She wore a purple sweater and navy Capri pants. She, like her cousin, had eyes with a slight grey tint to them and fair white skin. But unlike Neji, her face was kind and soft with a shy smile as she heard Shino, who is one of her best friends, telling her a story about a time his mother woke up to find a grasshopper on her nose. On the table next to hers was Gaara. Gaara had spiky, brick red hair. He had a tattoo on the left of his forehead above his left eye. His eyebrows pretty much invisible, and his eyes were a light green color, covered in what they could guess was black paint but they were unsure of. His skin was pale, but most of his body was covered in his long-sleeved crimson coat, and black pants. He was definitely a quiet person, and he didn't express or talk much, but he stood up for his friends when they needed him, and even though he would always stay quiet, his friends would always enjoy his company.

Behind Hinata's desk was the boy with the ponytail, Shikamaru. He was by far, the laziest person in the entire school. To say that him getting into AP English, considering he would sleep through an entire class, was shocking, would be an understatement. Shikamaru always had a bored expression on his face – if not bored, then sleepy. At the moment, he was wearing a dark green vest over his grey t-shirt, with black jeans. Unfortunately for him, this was one of those days when, even if he wanted to sleep, he wouldn't be able to shut his eyes. For some reason, he just couldn't sleep, no matter how much he wanted to. So instead, he listened half-heartedly to Shino's story, smirking at Gaara's attempt to not smile at Hinata's laughter. Shikamaru knew there was nothing there, but it was amusing to him how Gaara had his soft side towards women completely hidden. Neji was smirking as well, but not at Gaara. Instead, he smirked because Asuma-sensei had lifted his essay up to show an A+ at the top of the page. Figures.

Speaking of figures, there were still two other people in the small classroom, on the far opposite side. One was male and the other was female. The male's name was Sasuke, who was known to be a lady's man. He had spiky, raven hair with a blue tint to it. His eyes were onyx colored, and usually full of intensity and determination. His skin was pale, almost like Neji. But unlike Neji, Sasuke would usually have a taunting smirk on his face. He wore a blue long-sleeved turtle neck and black pants. The girl next to him was Karin. She had red hair that was spiky and uncombed on the right side, but straight and smooth on the left, and matching red eyes. She had on brown glasses, a brown, sleeveless button-up shirt, a black skirt that was a few inches above her knees, and long boots that went up to her knees. Those two were talking amongst themselves – or rather, Karin was talking while Sasuke glared at her as if telling her to shut up. The group next to the window didn't really interact with them unless it was necessary, and even then, it was still a cold exchange. Sasuke, above all else, just didn't give them a good vibe.

Then, there was a soft knock on the door. The room fell silent as Asuma stood to open the door, revealing green and pink.

"Can I help you?" asked Asuma politely. The girl held out a slip of paper which he took, and smiled shyly.

"Is this AP English?" said the girl. "If it is, Tsunade-sama said it would be my first class. I'm Haruno Sakura – I'm new here." Asuma nodded with a smile before opening the door wide, allowing her entrance.

The class stared as the girl walked to the front of the room, unsure of where to go. Shikamaru raised a brow at her hair, never seeing that on a person, but shrugged it off. That's when he heard it. On the opposite side of the room, he heard a very small, almost uncatchable, dark chuckle. Looking over, he saw Karin gawking at the new arrival, her eyebrows up in surprise, and her mouth somewhat open. But what made Shikamaru frown was Sasuke. He was sitting straight in his chair, completely facing the front of the class with a knowing smirk on his face. He obviously knew the girl, and from the looks of it, the girl recognized him as well. '_This should be interesting,_' thought Shikamaru.

**:)(:**

Sakura walked to the front of the room, tugging a lock of hair behind her ear. It was a small class, with maybe not even ten students, so of course it made her more nervous. They were all staring at her! '_So much for not having to impress anybody,_' thought Sakura, mentally sighing. Taking a quick look at the students, she recognized a few from when she was walking to the school sitting on near the windows. No wait, she saw all of those four guys. The only one she didn't recognize was the girl sitting in the middle of them all. Moving her eyes to the other side of the room, her eyes widened in surprise. '_S-Sasuke? What the hell is he doing here?_' Quickly, she took her eyes off of him and moved to the girl sitting in the desk behind him. She recognized that girl, but she couldn't really remember her name. '_It's barely my first class and I already feel awkward_' she thought. '_I wonder what other surprises this day will bring…_'

"Alright class," announced Asuma-sensei, clasping his hands together. "It looks like we have a new student starting today." He put a reassuring hand on Sakura's shoulder before continuing. "How about you tell us a bit about yourself? We just finished with a major assignment, so we won't be doing anything important in this class today." Sakura nodded to him with a small smile before turning back to her new classmates.

"Uh, hi," said Sakura nervously. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I just moved here from the Jomae Village (**A/N: Land of Keys**), and I'm not really sure what else I'm supposed to say here." Sakura saw the girl sitting in the middle of all the guys smile at her, almost as if trying to reassure her. The guy with crimson red hair nodded as if welcoming and the other three were just staring – except for the boy in the far back who just had his cheek leaning on his knuckle, almost as if he was bored.

"That's quite alright," said the teacher. "I am Sarutobi Asuma, by the way. You're AP English teacher. Well, like I said, we probably won't be doing anything today, considering I have to grade these students' papers. So go on and sit wherever you like. You have plenty of seats to choose from."

Giving a slight nod, Sakura looked back at the class. She definitely didn't want to go sit next to the lonely pair, and sitting in the front row would seem like she was trying to outcast herself – then again, it would seem like that if she sat in the empty column as well. But if she sat on a chair next to the other group, it would look like she was being smug and trying to invade their territory. '_You're over thinking this Sakura,_' she thought. '_It's just picking out a seat, not a rescue mission._' With that, she walked straight through the middle of the rows, aiming to sit on the desk next to the bored looking guy, leaving two chairs between them. Halfway there, she heard a soft mumbling trying to get her attention. Looking over to the right, she saw the unfamiliar girl waving her over with a smile.

"You can sit here if you'd like," said the girl in a shy tone. Sakura froze where she stood, unsure of what to do. '_Should I go? She seems nice enough. But what about the guys? They might not like me barging in to sit next to their friend. But it would be rude if I say no….damnit! I hate high school!_' While she argued with herself in her mind, she noticed the crimson haired guy nod at her once again. The guy in front of him, one with long brown hair, gave her a small smile. '_Well….I guess it'll be okay…_' She sat on the chair next to the girl, right in the middle of the four boys.

"Thanks," mumbled Sakura, trying to not show how nervous she was. The other girl just smiled.

"No problem," said the girl quietly. "My name is Hyuga Hinata. These are my friends, Shino -" the boy with the hood nodded in acknowledgement, "my cousin, Neji -" the boy with the long brown hair bowed his head in greeting, "Gaara -" the boy with the tattoo lifted his hand slowly, and Sakura took it, noticing how he gripped it softly, "and Shikamaru." The last boy behind them just waved lazily as he let out a yawn.

"It's nice to meet you guys," said Sakura smiling.

"So you are from Jomae huh," came the velvety voice of Shino. Seeing her nod, he asked, "I've never been there before, what is it like?"

"Oh, it has a lot of open space," replied Sakura. "It's not like this place where houses are next to each other. Over there, it's miles of land before getting to your neighbor's house."

"How did you get to school then?" said Neji in a voice that would make a girl fall to her knees (**A/N: Neji is so hot XD**) "I'm sure you didn't walk to the building, or did you?"

"No, we had to take a bus 'cause the school was over half an hour away."

"Is this your first time coming to Konoha?"

"Nope," replied Sakura, shaking her head. "I was actually born here. But my dad's job required us to move to other places. We finally got settled in Jomae a few years ago, but I came every now and then to visit my grandfather." Neji nodded in understanding at her answer.

"Why did you move back?" asked Gaara, allowing Sakura to hear his soft, gentle voice for the first time. Sakura gazed at him for a moment before answering.

"Obligations I guess."

No one decided to pry on that subject for the rest of the class period. Instead, they just kept asking her about Jomae, her friends, her hobbies, etc. Shikamaru joined in the conversation not long after, knowing that he wouldn't be able to sleep, so he might as well join. He couldn't help but notice Karin whispering something to her companion, and Sasuke just smirking while his eyes were fixed on the pinkette. '_Weird,_' he thought, '_they're not even acknowledging each other, but clearly they know each other. Maybe I'll ask Sakura – after I get to know her better. Wouldn't want to be considered intrusive, especially not by a girl. That would be too troublesome. _'

Half an hour later, the bell rang, indicating that the students had ten minutes to get to their lockers to get their books before heading off to their next class. By the end of the period, Sakura felt very comfortable with the five people that surrounded her. Hinata was rather shy, but she was incredibly sweet; Shino and Gaara were quiet, but they put in their thoughts when they figured it was necessary; Neji was reserved, but at least he tried to be social; Shikamaru was lazy, most definitely, but he could really keep up a conversation. Yep, it would've been a perfect way to start off in the new school – if only it hadn't been for the pair on the opposite side of the room. Sakura didn't have to turn around to know they were staring at her, but she tried her best not to let the awkwardness show. Now, everyone was getting their things and standing off their chairs before Asuma-sensei's voice rang through the classroom.

"Don't forget guys," he said, "just because we didn't do anything today, doesn't mean we can start getting lazy" that earned a smirk from Shikamaru. "On Thursday (**A/N: It's Tuesday**), we're gunna start on Hamlet; the tale of the young prince who went mad trying to get revenge on his uncle for killing his father. I know you probably have all read it before, but in this class, we are not just going to read the story. We will do an in-depth analysis. Who knows – you might find something you never thought was there."

With that, Asuma-sensei took up the rest of the essays on his desk and walked out the room, waving a hand behind him. The pair on the opposite side of the room followed him out, and Sakura couldn't be more relieved. Then she noticed that the guys were at the door waiting for her and Hinata, who stood by her desk as if waiting for her to start walking.

"I hope you don't mind Sakura," said Hinata. "B-but, I was wondering if I could ask you a question?" Sakura sighed; she should've seen this coming.

"I see," replied Sakura. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. But I am impressed that you went this long without asking."

"Huh?" said Hinata with a confused expression. "W-what do you mean?"

Sakura smiled half-heartedly before saying, "You want to ask me if this is my real hair color right? I get that a lot, and yeah, it is."

"Oh!" exclaimed Hinata, giggling. "That wasn't really my question, but it's nice to know." Seeing Sakura's confused face, she laughed. "I-I am sorry. But I was actually going to ask you if I can get a closer look at your necklace, just to see what it says?"

"Oh, uh, wow, yeah sure, go on ahead."

Hinata gently lifted the small mirror with her fingers, reading the small inscription. When she was finished, she placed it back and smiled. "It's lovely," was all she said before motioning for Sakura to get a move on.

**:)(:**

The rest of the classes weren't as nice as the first one. There were a lot of people who just stared at her, and she heard murmuring from almost every direction. A few classmates went up to her to talk to her, but of course it was mainly to ask if she had dyed her hair. She had another class with Shikamaru and Neji, which was advanced math, and she had Shino for her economics class. Other than that, she just saw Hinata and Gaara when they went up to her locker during the breaks. Two classes later, Hinata led her to the back of the school where she said her friends got together to have lunch in the gazebo. Sakura expected to just see a few kids, maybe just the guys from English, but there were more kids at the gazebo than that entire class. Counting their heads quietly, she counted 11 people under the shade of the gazebo, not counting Hinata's. Reaching their destination, all the kid's quieted down as they noticed a new arrival, causing both Sakura _and_ Hinata to blush.

"Um," stuttered Hinata. Placing a hand on the pinkette's back, she said, "Everyone, this is Sakura. She's new here and it's her first day. Sakura, these are my friends…"

One by one, Hinata pointed at one of her friends as she named them. Skipping over Neji and Gaara, the first was a girl with four blonde pigtails around her head, wearing a black tank top and some black jeans. Her name was Temari and she was the older sister to Gaara and Kankuro, who sat on the opposite side of the gazebo from Sakura. He was wearing a dark purple long-sleeved turtle neck and black pants. What stood out about him was the purple paint on his face, almost reaching up to his brown hair. It was surprising for Sakura, but it suited him for some reason. In between Temari and Kankuro were Shino and a girl named Ino. She had light teal eyes (**A/N: In the anime, they're blue, and in the manga their green, so I just mixed them.**), skin that practically rivaled with Sakura's, and long blond hair that reached down to her waist. On the other side of Kankuro there were three more people she didn't recognized, and one that she remembered she passed in the morning. One was a guy with bushy brows and a black bowl haircut named Lee. He had on green t-shirt and matching green shorts. He kept gaping at Sakura, and she was sure she was able to see heart in his eyes, and that kind of creeped her out.

Next to him was the girl she saw in the morning with two brown buns at the top of her head and brown eyes. Her name was Tenten, and she wore a white sleeveless turtleneck and brown Capri pants. Rolling her eyes at Lee, she smiled at Sakura reassuringly. Next to Tenten was Choji, a boy with a robust physique. He wasn't exactly fat, but he wasn't small either. He had red swirls on his cheeks and long brown hair that reached down to his waist. He had black pants and a red long-sleeve button up shirt. His shirt had crumbs on it from the bag of chips he was currently eating. Next to him was another boy named Kiba. Kiba, like Kankuro and Gaara, had paint on his face; he had red fang markings on each cheek. He had messy brown hair, sharp nails, seemingly-canine teeth, and black eyes with vertical slit-like pupils. Resting its chin on his lap was a rather large dog with white fur, and dark brown patches on his ears that matched his nose; his eyes were closed so Sakura didn't see the color. The dog's name was Akamaru. Finally, the last person between Kiba and Sakura was Shikamaru, surprisingly wide awake.

"Hey Sakura," said Shikamaru. "Welcome to the group." Sakura's eyes widened at the statement. Everyone laughed at her reaction, causing her to blush furiously, but welcomed her all the same.

"You came in that black Escalade huh pinkie?" asked Kiba. Ino rolled her eyes.

"No Kiba," said the blonde. "She flew here on a magic carpet."

Kiba growled playfully, "Are you making fun of me!"

"Nah," interrupted Kankuro, smirking. "She's just making you look more like an idiot than usual."

"What did you say!"

Ino and Lee jumped out of the way as Kiba jumped to tackle Kankuro. It was a failed attempt because the next thing you know, Kankuro had Kiba on the floor in a headlock. Everyone was laughing, even Sakura, though still a bit startled, joined in the laughter. While the boys continued with their rough play, the others decided to question the newcomer.

"So Sakura," said Tenten, "how do you like the Academy so far? Is it smaller than your last school?"

"Are you kidding me?" replied Sakura. "This place is huge. It was a miracle I found Tsunade-sama's office by myself."

"What teachers have you had so far?" asked Ino. Sakura raised her fingers counting them down.

"Um, so far I've had Asuma for English, Kurenai for Economics and Iruka for Math. After lunch I have Yamato for History and Ibiki for Logic."

"May I be bold Sakura?" asked Lee, his eyes full of determination. Before Sakura could answer, he was already standing in front of her, holding her hand with both of his. "You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen! Your radiance is equal to that of a Cherry Blossom! You must give me your permission to pursue you."

"Uh…"

"Enough Lee," came Gaara's voice. He had stood up to stand next to them, obviously trying to hide his amusement. Taking Sakura's hand away from a pouting Lee, Gaara led Sakura to sit between him and his sister who bumped shoulders with the pinkette, giving her a wink.

"Gaara's right," said Temari, trying not to laugh. "Sakura's new here, so I'm sure she's not looking for a boyfriend right now."

"It's Lee," piped in Shino. "I think you meant girlfriend." Sakura's eyes widened.

"Whoa! Not a lesbian here!"

"Well, that's too bad," said Temari, faking disappointed. Everyone laughed, and when they quieted down, Temari whispered to Sakura, "Just kidding heh. We're all friends here, so no point in holding back."

Lunch continued on like that; laughing and making fun of each other. What really got them to tears was when Kankuro noticed that Kiba wasn't struggling anymore. When he looked down, they all realized that Kiba had become unconscious, making everyone laugh even more. When he came around, he couldn't help but join, even though he did go and give Sakura a noogie. Nearly halfway through lunch, the group got quiet. Sakura was confused at first but realized that their attention were on a smaller group walking by a few feet away. She recognized Sasuke and the girl, but there were two others with them: one was white haired with purple eyes and a shark-like tooth. He had on a purple sleeveless shirt and white pants. The other had spiky orange hair, matching his eyes color, and a calm face. He wore a black t-shirt and brown shorts. They walked closer, smirking as they passed the gazebo. Sakura felt the tension in the air but decided to stay quiet. When they were gone, she opened her mouth to ask a question, but Ino beat her to it.

"The Taka," said Ino. "Or at least that's what they call themselves."

"They think their better than everyone," continued Choji. "Sasuke especially. They love starting problems for people."

"Yeah," said Kiba. "So if there's any advice we could give you, it would be stay clear of them."

"Do not worry my Cherry Blossom!" exclaimed Lee, jumping up with his fist in the air. "I will protect you from them if ever the moment approaches!" Everyone rolled their eyes, but Sakura actually thought it was sweet.

Shikamaru watched the exchanges as he sat on the rail of the gazebo. He didn't bother adding anything because by the way Sakura was smiling, she didn't need to be reassured anymore. But he saw the way she looked at the Taka when they passed by. There was definitely a story there. '_I wonder if I was the only one who caught that_' thought the brunette. From the looks of it, no one did, but then again, these people had great poker faces. Their skull would be on fire, and they could keep a straight face – well, except for Ino; she would be crying about her _precious_ hair.

When lunch was over, Sakura walked with Kankuro, Lee and Choji to History since they had the same class. Choji made sure Lee didn't get to close while Kankuro just kept laughing at the poor boy. It was really entertaining. When going to her Logic class, she walked with Ino, Neji, Shikamaru, Gaara and Temari. Yamato-sensei was a cool teacher, making sure that the students understood the subject. Ibiki-sensei was rather intimidating and scary. The others seemed used to it, but Sakura just wanted to shrink into her chair, especially when Ibiki-sensei asked her a colored hat question with four guys and a line, and oh god! What the hell is this class even for!

**:)(:**

Classes ended, and Sakura couldn't be more relieved (mainly because Ibiki almost made her go on the verge of tears). Sighing, Sakura closed her locker, pulling her red backpack over her shoulder. Going to the front of the school, she saw her new 12 friends (**A/N: Wow. I know huh.**). Most of them waved as they walked the opposite direction, except for Lee who wanted to "give my Cherry Blossom a piggyback ride to her home. In that way, she will not become tired, and I shall get her home safely!" He was pulled back by Choji and Temari. The only people walking with her were the two Hyuga family members, Shikamaru, Tenten, and Shino. After a while, Neji, Hinata, and Tenten went their own direction.

"How was Logic Sakura?" asked Shino, smirking under his shirt. "I hear Ibiki is a real badass."

"_That_ is an understatement," cried Sakura. "That wasn't even a class – it was a freakin' interrogation room!" Shikamaru laughed at the pinkette's words.

Putting an arm around the girl, Shikamaru said, "Don't worry about him. After a few days, you'll see it's not that bad. It's only the amount of thinking that makes the class so troublesome."

"Tah! Chyeah right…"

"You'll see," said Shikamaru. "Once you get used to it, you'll realize that Ibiki just wants you to think in a way that gives you more than one answer." Confused, Sakura faced the black haired boy.

"What do you mean?"

"Well this is where we split," piped up Shino. The pair stopped to look at the practically fully covered boy as he took a few steps the opposite direction. Sakura released herself from Shikamaru's grasp and wrapped her arms around Shino's neck.

"Thanks Shino," said Sakura happily. "All of you guys really made today great."

Shino stiffened from the close and surprising contact, but after hearing the pinkette's words, he lifted a hand and awkwardly patted Sakura's back a few times before he pulled away. Nodding to Shikamaru who waved in return, Shino left the pair. Sakura turned to Shikamaru and raised a brow.

"So what did you mean about Ibiki's class?"

"Oh," said Shikamaru. "Well, what you have to remember is that Ibiki's class is just discussion. He gives us brain teasers, and for the rest of the class, we just talk about it. It's basically just looking at the problem from different angles." Sakura nodded.

"So, technically," she said, "there's no wrong answer?"

"As long as you can back it up," replied Shikamaru, nodding. "If you throw out a point of view without any logic behind it, then you might as well keep your mouth shut - this is my block."

They stopped walking as Sakura realized how close he lived to her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the field, and her house on the opposite side. Turning back, she felt a hand on her head, and realized Shikamaru had decided to mess up her hair. Is pink a magnet for noogies in this place or something? Of course Sakura couldn't be mad though – today had been way too good of a day to be mad.

"See ya Shikamaru," said Sakura, slapping him playfully in his abs, briefly noticing how firm they were. "Thanks for the advice." Taking a few steps, Shikamaru nodded.

"Anytime pinkie."

"Pinkie? Really?" She was answered by the boy lifting his hand above his head, not even bothering to turn around. Making her way through the field, Sakura looked up at the sky. '_Today was great,_' she thought. '_I wonder how Sai and Naruto are doing. Should I call them when I get home? I don't want to seem clingy. Gah, I'll just wait until the end of the week. That way, we'll have a lot to talk about during the weekend…I really do miss them…_' Once Sakura reached the house, she unlocked the door and walked into the living room.

"Baba," she called out, "I'm home." But there was no answer. "Baba?" she said louder. Then she heard a small reply from outside. Looking out the glass window, she realized one of the doors was half open. Dropping her bag on the couch, Sakura stepped out into the backyard. Looking to her right, she found her Baba sitting on a bench with a glass of lemonade in his hand.

"Ah, Sakura," greeted Baba with a big smile. "Come, grab a glass of lemonade. It's a nice day out today." Sakura grinned as she poured herself a cup and sat next to her grandfather, putting up her feet to her side as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "How was your first day?"

"Surprisingly amazing," replied Sakura. "My classes were interesting enough, and I met a group of really nice people."

"Did you now?"

"Mm-hmm," she said closing her eyes. "They welcomed me the first chance they got; made me feel like I belong with them." Baba wrapped an arm around her granddaughter's shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze.

"That is great to hear my sweet Sakura," said Baba happily. "I'm glad you're having a good start."

"That I am Baba. That I am."

* * *

><p>That's the end of Chapter 2. I hope you all liked it - let me know if you do! (<em>review, review, review!<em>) Until next week! :D


	3. Chapter 3

As promised, here's chapter 3! A few of you asked what was going on between Sakura and Sasuke - well, in this chapter, **_part_** of their past will be revealed. The rest will be...until later, but I promise you won't be disappointed ;)

**IMPORTANT NOTE DUE TO STORY:** (I'm just gunna copy this on each chapter...) The way I'll go about this story is that I'll update a new chapter every friday. If I miss one week, then I'll put up two chapters in the next. Got it? Great.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto! Just the idea of this story.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

><p>Sakura walked through the field in front of her house with her red bag over her shoulder. Looking up, she realized that there was a chance of rain, but she didn't feel like going back for an umbrella. Besides, she loved the rain. Sure, it's a pain when she gets a harsh cold, but it was always worth it, and that thought made Sakura burst out laughing. For some reason, whenever something pleasant ran through Sakura's mind, it made her feel lighter, and carefree – and what's the best way to express that other than through laughter. Exactly: nothing. At least not for the pinkette. Soon, the feeling of ease grew even more inside the pinkette's slender frame, and even laughter was not enough. Putting her arm through the other strap of her backpack, Sakura stopped walking for a second. Taking in a deep breath, she ran a few steps, each step gaining more momentum, before she raised her arms over her head, and jumped forward into a front flip. Not wanting to stop when she landed on her feet, Sakura jumped again into a front aerial flip, then again to a side aerial, jumping into a one-handed cartwheel, and finishing with a full twist layout. Breathing heavily, the pinkette smiled and continued her way to school.<p>

**:)(:**

Walking into homeroom, Sakura managed to spot Ino, Shikamaru, Kankuro, and Lee in the far back. The pink-haired girl didn't even reach the middle of the room before Lee ran up to her, kissing both cheeks and aiming for a third kiss right on the lips, causing her to blush furiously and slap the boy across the head before he reached his target. The two boys in the back were already laughing on the floor before Ino made her way up to the bushy-browed kid, pulling his ear all the way down.

"I thought I made it clear Lee," growled the blonde. "Leave Sakura alone! She needs to adjust before she looks to start dating, you moron!"

That's when their teacher walked in: Kakashi.

"Uh," said the man, eyebrow raised at the trio at the front of the room. "Well, I have no idea what's going on here, but how about you three go take a seat..?"

Ino pulled Lee by the ear behind her with Sakura on their tail, as they headed to the back. The other students just watched with amusement at the scene before them. Not long after did they all quiet down and started talking amongst themselves. Shikamaru and Kankuro also came around, wiping away a few happy tears, patting the rejected boy on the back.

"Nice try kid," said Kankuro, smirking. "But like Ino said, you gotta give the girl some space."

"And," added Sakura, "if you ever kiss me like that again, without my permission, I swear I will throw you out the window." And she meant it.

"So what classes do you have today Sakura?" asked Shikamaru trying to change the subject from the poor boy.

Sakura sighed. "Let's see. I have Shizune for Medical Education, Kakashi for Creative Writing, Guy for Gym, and after lunch I have Iruka for Science, and then a free period."

"Hey!" exclaimed Ino. "Hinata and I have Shizune's class too! And we all have Kakashi for second period."

"All, as in, everyone?"

"Yup," said Ino, excitedly. "That's one of our favorite classes 'cause we're all together, and Kakashi always gives us fun assignments rather than boring ones. Oh, everyone pretty much have free period at the same time too."

"Sounds fun," said Sakura. After a moment of thinking she said, "I was wondering, why do they give us a free period at the end of the day? Wouldn't it be better if they just let us out early?" Kankuro shrugged.

"It would be better," said the boy, "but there's no use in complaining. Usually we all just leave anyway, get something to eat, or just find an empty classroom to hang out."

"Oh."

The bell rang and all the students piled up by the door trying to get out. The small group in the back decided to wait until most of the mess was cleared out before leaving. Lee, who hasn't spoken a word since the ear pulling, grabbed Sakura's elbow and gently pulled her to the side. Sakura eyed him warily, but said nothing because the boy had an ashamed expression on his face. The others just watched as the boy opened his mouth to speak.

"I am sorry for my behavior Sakura," muttered Lee. "This morning I acted childish, and I hope that you will not hold a grudge against me. I did not mean to anger a beauty such as you." Sakura's expression softened at the boy's apology.

"It's alright Lee," said the pinkette. "Just don't do it again. Like Ino said, I want to adjust before looking for anything."

"So you forgive me?" asked the bushy-browed boy.

Sakura laughed and answered, "Yes Lee, I forgive you."

"And once you have adjusted, you will allow me to pursue you?"

"I – wait, what?"

"Once you are acquainted with your new life here, I will have a chance at having a date with you?"

"Um, I never -"

"Then it is settled! Once you Sakura are ready for commitment, I will not rest until you are mine!" With that, the boy ran out the door, determination written all over his face, leaving a confused, and frankly scared, Sakura standing in the same spot.

"Uh….what just happened?" It was quiet before Shikamaru shrugged.

"You're not ready for commitment." The others laughed at the statement, Sakura's eyes widening, and her cheeks becoming a darker shade than her hair.

"I am _**so**_ ready for -! That wasn't what I had meant -! I – grrh!"

**:)(:**

Three classes passed, and Sakura couldn't be more relieved about it being time for lunch. Medical Ed was very insightful, and she really liked what she learned; Creative Writing was pretty fun, and allowed a person to use their imagination, even though the Kakashi was late like he was for homeroom; Gym was…uh, entertaining? No, that's not the right word. Weird? Hard? Ok, let's just stick with unusual. The teacher had the class do suicides, where they would start from one side of the gym and run to the nearest line, and back; then to the line after and back; then to the line after that and back, and then to the other side of the gym and back. The coach had said that if everyone finished 5 complete suicides in 5 minutes, he would do 20 suicides. No one managed to finish within the time limit, but the coach did them anyway. Now, Sakura was at her locker, putting in her sweaty clothes, and taking out the lunch that her Baba made her in the morning.

"Hello Sakura."

That voice. That deep, unemotional, empty, heartbreaking voice. It couldn't be. Not now. Oh, please not now. But sure enough, when she turned around, she stood face to face with none other than –

"Sasuke."

**:00:**

"I can't believe you did that to Sakura, Lee!"

Lee threw himself behind a blushing Hinata as Tenten raised her hand to smack him. When she saw his reaction, she quickly lowered her hand, growled as the boy stuck out his tongue smugly at the brunette. Everyone was at the gazebo again for lunch, with the exception of Sakura and Choji, who had ran to his locker to get a few snacks. The word had gotten around about Lee's bold move on Sakura, and all the girls were nagging at the boy for doing it. The guys, with the exception of Gaara and Neji, were laughing at Lee's suffering; the other two were simply unimpressed. Yeah, lunch was definitely one of the group's favorite times.

"I am sorry Tenten!" cried Lee. "I do not know what had come over me once I saw the youthfulness of the beautiful Cherry Blossom. It is as though my body was magnetically drawn towards the pink-haired beauty!"

"It's called hormones," said Kiba. "You think she's hot. Don't blame you there, but you really should try to control yourself Lee. The more you throw yourself at her now, the more she'll want to push you away. It's best if you give her some space, and once she is ready, she'll decide whether she will want to give you a shot or not. If not, the rejection will hurt, but at least she'll consider your feelings, instead of wanting to run away from you." While Lee had tears streaming from his eyes with pride, the rest of the group gaped at the dog-like boy, causing him to smirk. "Oh yeah. I'm deep."

"Wow," breathed Temari. "But anyway, uh, yeah. Lee, I have to agree with Kiba, as I'm sure the others do as well." Everyone, once getting over their shock, nodded.

"So," said Ino suspiciously, walking over to sit next to Kiba, "you think Sakura's hot?" Kiba's eyes' widened, clearly not expecting the question.

"Uh, well. I – you know," stuttered the boy, putting Hinata to shame. "I mean, she's not…Ok yes! Yeah, I think Sakura's hot, so what? It's not like I'm gunna do anything about it."

"You better not," muttered Lee under his breath.

"Why not?" asked Neji, finally getting interested in the conversation. "Sakura's nice, smart, and as you say 'hot'. Why not go after it?"

"Did you not hear my insightful speech Neji?"

"After she's ready for a boyfriend," said Temari, smirking. "Will you go after her then?" Thinking it over, Kiba shook his head.

"Nah," replied the brunette. "Sakura's great, and I'm sure any guy will be lucky to have her, but I don't think it would work for us."

"Why not?" asked Kankuro.

"What the hell? What is this? 20 Questions? Why don't you go after her – Kankuro, Neji, Shino, or any of you guys?" All the guys stayed quiet, until Ino spoke up.

"So what are you guys gunna write for Kakashi's homework assignment?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't change the subject! I want to hear what these guys have to say!"

"I might write about a person's emotional ties to unrelated objects," said Neji, completely ignoring the boy in front of him.

"I was thinking of writing about the feeling of déjà vu," said Temari, trying not to laugh at the situation.

Kiba sighed and said, "Fine, I get it. But I'll find out what you guys think sooner or later."

"What are you gunna write about Gaara?" asked Ino, still ignoring the brunette. The crimson haired boy didn't show anything on his face, but he thought hard before answering:

"I'll write about the enjoyment that comes from ignoring a babbling idiot."

**:)(:**

She didn't know what to do. Obviously the guy in front of her had seen her, and there was nowhere to run or hide. Why did he have to come up to her today? Why couldn't he just wait a week, or a month, or not even bother with it? Seeing Sakura's distress just made Sasuke smirk. '_Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?_' thought Sakura over and over.

"How have you been Sakura?" asked the raven haired boy. "I haven't seen you in, how many years has it been? Five? Six?"

"What do you want Sasuke?" said Sakura through gritted teeth. The boy just laughed.

"I just thought we could catch up," replied Sasuke. "We haven't seen each other in so long, I've missed you."

"Bullshit."

"Ouch," was the reply. "That hurt Sakura -"

"Goddamnit Sasuke!" growled Sakura. "What the hell do you want!" He shrugged as his expression turning into a bored one.

"How's Naruto doing?" he asked. "Last time I saw him, he wasn't exactly himself."

"Can you blame him?" countered the pinkette. "You were a jerk to him for no reason. Even when he tried to talk to you about why you were acting the way you were, you just turned your back on him, even after -... Why did you leave us like that Sasuke? Why would you do what you did?"

The conversation became silent after Sakura's question. Sakura's expression was filled with hurt as she remembered how one of her best friends abandoned them without so much of an explanation; as she remembered the pain and shame that the boy in front of her had caused her. But seeing Sasuke devoid of emotion, obviously not caring about how painful the memory was to the girl in front of him, made her expression harden. He didn't care about what he did to her or Naruto. He didn't care how hurt they were after he abandoned them and moved here with his Uncle – what was it? Oh yeah – Orochimaru. He didn't care that Naruto was an inch from losing his life when he left. He didn't care when Sakura declared her love for him, just so he wouldn't leave. He just….didn't care.

"Do you still love me Sakura?" asked Sasuke. Wide eyed, Sakura scoffed.

"What kind of stupid question is that?" she said. "It's been six years! No, I don't love you anymore. What you did to me was bad enough, but what you did to Naruto, the way you left him behind, after all he did for you, was unforgivable."

Unfazed, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, leaning on the lockers. Smirking, he said, "You would have forgiven me." Sakura remained silent, not giving him the pleasure of making a comeback statement, so he continued, "I remember when Naruto went to Jiraiya's house; you and I would walk around your backyard by the lake holding hands -"

"Shut up Sasuke."

"I would say something to make you blush, and kiss you on your cheek and on your forehead."

"I said shut up."

"What was it that I would say to you? Oh that's right -"

"That's enough!"

"You are so beautiful Sakura," whispered Sasuke in a husky voice. "You really are unlike anyone I've ever met. You're funny, and caring, and simply amazing. I can't tell you how lucky I am to be able to call you mine." At that point, Sakura was on the verge of tears, not from remembering, but from the anger she felt towards the boy standing in front of her.

"I bet that wasn't the only time you said that to a girl," muttered Sakura. That statement made Sasuke lean his head back, letting out a humorless laugh. When he was done, he took a step closer to the pink-haired girl, placing his hand on her cheek, caressing it softly.

"Oh Sakura," said Sasuke, feigning his sympathy. "What made you think you were that special?"

Tears ran down Sakura's face from the fury she felt. Slapping his hand away, she shouted, "Go to hell Sasuke!"

"What's going on here?"

Both teenagers turned at the sudden interruption to find Choji standing there. He had a bag of potato chips wrapped up by his hardened fist, and his expression was deadly as he glared at Sasuke. Sakura couldn't be more relieved at seeing the boy. She had just met him a day ago, but right now, there was no one in the world she would rather see. Sasuke on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow at the brunette, seemingly bored. Choji's eyes narrowed as he crunched the bag in his hand even more.

"Why are you bothering Sakura, Uchiha?" spat Choji.

"What do you care fatty," said Sasuke, leaning back on the lockers. Sakura gasped. Even though she had never seen what happens, Sakura knew never to call Choji fat; Shikamaru and Ino warned her more than enough times. But surprisingly, the boy stood calm, other than his fists hardening even more, and his black eyes practically on fire.

"I asked you a question," he said dangerously low. "Why are you bothering Sakura?"

Sasuke stared at the boy with empty eyes and a smirk. "I didn't know it was crime to talk to my old girlfriend." Choji's attention turned to the glaring Sakura. That was clearly not what he expected.

"Sakura -?"

"Didn't she ever tell you?" said Sasuke, visibly enjoying the pinkette's discomfort. "We used to date back in Jomae. Sakura was always so willing."

"Shut up Sasuke," snapped Sakura. "I – you were a mistake. Whatever happened between us was a mistake. And don't you dare make it seem worse than what it really was."

Sakura turned around and started to walk away, but felt a hand grab her arm pulling her back. Just as she turned around though, the hand let go, and there was a loud echo in the hallway. Sakura had shut her eyes, scared of what she would see, but when she opened them, they widened at the scene before her: Choji was pinning Sasuke against the lockers by his collar, his face full of fury, and a low growl coming from his throat.

"Don't you…_**dare…**_lay a hand on Sakura EVER again!"

Before Sakura could even react, Sasuke shoved Choji away from him, pulling his arm around to punch him straight in the jaw. Sakura covered her mouth, letting out a scream as Choji staggered back from the impact. Once he got his balance back, Choji tackled the other boy, both of them stumbling to the ground. Everything became a blur to the girl. All she could make out were the boys on the ground, punching and kicking, and someone far off yelling at them to stop. Wait – was it really that far off? No, it was closer…right? Yeah, it was her. She was yelling and pleading for the boys to stop when someone came and pulled Choji off the other boy.

"That is enough, both of you," roared Kakashi-sensei as Choji struggled to be released. Sasuke stood up from the floor and wiped away the blood from his nose, his expression deadly.

"Bitch" he spat.

"I said enough," snarled Kakashi. He let go of the now calm Choji and faced the three students. "One of you tell me what the this was all about. Now."

Sakura put a hand on Choji's shoulder before replying, "It was because of me Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke and I were talking, and when he took it too far, Choji came and that's when they started fighting. Choji was just standing up for me."

"As noble as that sounds," said Kakashi, "All three of you will report to the principal's office during your free period. You two -" he looked pointedly at the boys "- are facing suspension. Sakura, since you had no part in the fight, I can only guess that you'll get a warning. Now, Sasuke, go your way, and I don't want you starting trouble. If I hear you causing any problems, I won't hesitate on suggesting expulsion." Sasuke let out a 'ttch' sound and walked off. "Choji, I would like you to stay outside the classroom while I have a word with Sakura."

Nodding, Choji gestured Sakura forward, earning a small, hesitant smile. Sakura followed Kakashi into an empty classroom, standing a few feet from the door as the he leaned against the teacher's desk. Sakura rolled back and forth on her feet, not even bothering her to hide her discomfort. '_Today is your second day Sakura,_' thought the pinkette. '_Your second day, and already you're in trouble for being involved, even if not physically, in a fight. So much for the good feeling from this morning._' Kakashi let out a cough as if knowing that the student's attention was thinning, and tried to get her attention.

"Your answer was vague Sakura," said Kakashi. Seeing her confused expression, he continued, "When I asked you what that was all about, you did not answer me directly."

"I-," started Sakura, at a loss for words. "I didn't – I mean…I…I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei. But the reason why the fight even started was because of personal issues between Sasuke and me."

"You two have a past?" asked the gray haired man. "That's a surprise."

"We lived in Jomae together a while back," explained Sakura. "He left a long time ago and I haven't seen him since." Kakashi motioned for her to sit before giving a small, '_Go on_'.

Sitting down on a desk, Sakura continued, "I was always defenseless back then, always clingy and not able to stand up for myself. My friend Naruto and Sasuke would always protect me, made me feel safe. Sasuke and I had a small, kinda-sorta relationship on the down-low, but it just – it was a mistake. Before, he would always tell me that we would never work, and he didn't see me like that, but one day, he changed and I fell for it. He was with another girl at that time, and he started being a jerk to me and friend Naruto. It sucked 'cause he was always there for us when we needed him, but then, he just decided we weren't good enough…"

Kakashi leaned on the teacher's desk quietly after Sakura finished her story, knowing that she was hiding something, something big, but decided not to pry. From what he's seen of the girl in front of him, she was anything **but** defenseless. Just today, he witnessed her beating four guys, twice her size, at arm wrestling. But from reading a journal entry about her deceased grandmother, he knew she had a soft side. '_This girl is a walking contradiction,_' thought the older man, and he didn't keep it to himself.

"You are a walking contradiction Sakura," said Kakashi with a lopsided smile, getting a small one in return. "You are a good student Sakura, and anyone who got the approval of 12 people as good as your friends – you shouldn't look down on yourself because you saw someone who makes you think of the person you were. The person you are now is who matters, and don't let Sasuke, or anyone else, tell you otherwise." Sakura smiled. She just met the man this morning, and already she felt like she could talk to him. '_Weird,_' thought Sakura, '_but I'm not complaining._' The pinkette thanked her teacher before walking out of the classroom, immediately her mood faltering at the sight of Choji's bruised up face.

"Oh Choji, I am so -"

"Don't you even worry about it," interrupted Choji, grinning. "I should be thanking you actually. You don't know how long I've wanted to give that Uchiha a piece of my mind."

"I'm glad," said Sakura. "But still, about what he said -" Choji interrupted her again, putting a hand on her shoulder this time.

"I heard what you told Kakashi," stated Choji. "And don't worry about it. Whatever happened between you and Sasuke is in the past, and it doesn't matter to me, and it won't matter to any of the others. Whenever you're ready to tell them, you'll see that it won't change their opinion of you." Wrapping his arm around Sakura's shoulders, Choji pulled her along, heading to the outside.

"Thanks Choji," whispered Sakura. "It means a lot that you said that."

"Just remember one thing Sakura," said Choji, coming to a stop. He looked at the girl next to him with a serious face. "What happened before – it's over now. You are who you are now. Whoever you were before, well, she's gone." Sakura tilted her head in thought.

"Who I used to be," muttered Sakura under her breath, "she's…gone…"

Before she knew it, Sakura realized that they were standing in front of their friends, all of who stared at Choji in complete bewilderment. She felt Choji's arm lift from her shoulders, and saw Shikamaru to be the first to stand up and walk over to them. Sakura hadn't seen him so angry and confused before, and it really caught her off guard.

"What-who did this to you?" asked Shikamaru.

Choji sighed before muttering, "Uchiha Sasuke." Everyone was silent when they heard the name, but then it clicked. Instantly, everyone ran to Choji, throwing out questions one after the other.

"What happened?"

"That bastard did this to you?"

"Are you alright?"

"Did the Taka jump you?"

"GUYS SHUT UP!"

Everyone became quiet once again and turned their attention to Shikamaru, who looked like he was on the verge of breaking something. Hinata tried putting a calming hand on his trembling shoulder, but he roughly shrugged it away. Sakura knew that he would regret snubbing the sweet girl, but from the looks of it, he was trying very hard not to turn around and shout at the person trying to touch him. From what everyone told her, Shikamaru and Choji have been friends since they were little kids. Shikamaru would be like Choji's older brother; he would be protective of him, made sure he didn't take things too far, and talked to him whenever he needed a boost. Choji would return the favor by supporting him and lending a hand whenever he had the chance. Now that Choji was hurt, Shikamaru had no problem in showing that he had a problem with it.

"Now," said Shikamaru, clearly attempting to keep calm. "Tell us what happened." Everyone sat back down and listened to Choji's recap. Sakura blushed to where it was suppose to be about Sasuke telling him about her, but was surprised when the robust teen next to her left it out. She knew he did it on purpose, and was grateful; he knew she was by the way he gave her a thumbs' up. When he finished his story, everyone's gaze went from Choji to Sakura, and finally to Shikamaru, who was looking up at the cloudy sky. But it was Kiba who broke the silence.

"The nerve of that guy," growled the brunette. "I say we go over there and beat his ass right now!" There were cries of agreement from most of group, but there were a few that kept quiet until they all calmed down.

"Fighting will be pointless," said Neji, receiving many glares from his friends. "The only thing we will accomplish is getting into detention or worse."

"We cannot let that guy get away with this!" yelled Kankuro, banging his fist to his palm. Lee nodded in agreement next to him.

"He must pay for injuring and insulting our friends!"

Gaara, who hasn't spoken for a while, raised his hand to quiet his friends. When he had their attention, he said calmly, "Choji and Sakura were the ones involved in this situation. It should be up to them on what they want to be done."

Choji and Sakura looked at each other, knowing that all eyes were on them. Shaking his head slightly, Choji faced his friends and said, "Let's just let it go for now." They heard Hinata and Tenten letting out a breath, and some of the guys letting out groans. Sakura smiled at Choji's decision. Looking over at Shikamaru, she realized he hasn't moved since Choji told them what happened. He spent the whole time looking up at the gray, cloud-filled, sky. Remembering that his house was on the way to her own, Sakura decided to leave him alone for the moment.

**:/\:**

The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful. Science with Iruka-sensei was informative, but dull, especially because Gaara wasn't much of conversationalist, and Tenten and Temari had to sit a few seats away due to a seating-chart. For free period, Sakura went with Choji to Tsunade-sama's office to find Sasuke already there. There was tension in the air, but they all kept their distance and tried not to acknowledge each other. Once they were all done meeting with a very angry Tsunade, (all three of them getting detention, with extra janitorial duty for the guys,) they all went their separate ways. Now, Sakura walked between Shino and Shikamaru, and like the day before, Shino was the first to part from the group. When he was gone, the silence became awkward. The pair walked side by side until they reached the edge of the field, indicating they had to go separate ways. Before either made an attempt to leave, Sakura decided to break the ice.

"You've been quiet since lunch."

"Hn," was the only reply.

"Listen," sighed Sakura, "I know you're upset about Choji being hurt. Everyone has told me how close you guys are, and I can only imagine how you felt when you saw him all bruised up and stuff. I just want you to know that I'm really sorry." That caught him off guard.

Frowning, Shikamaru asked, "You're apologizing? What do you have to be sorry for?"

"It's because of me that Choji got hurt," responded Sakura. "I should've walked away the moment Sasuke came up to me. Choji just stood up for me, and he got wounded because of it."

"I wanted to ask you yesterday," said Shikamaru. "What's between you and Sasuke?" He noticed Sakura's eyes widened at his question, and he gave a tiny smirk. "I saw your reaction when you saw him in Asuma's class, and he clearly knows you too. So, what's the story?"

Sakura sighed. It was way too early for this. "I…It's a long story Shikamaru." Feeling a drop of rain on her nose, Sakura looked up. The sky was darker than it was in the morning. After a few seconds, there was a light downpour. Completely forgetting she had company, Sakura took a few steps into the field and lied down on the wet grass, allowing the rain to fall all over her face. She felt so at peace that she didn't even notice a body lying right next to her. Shikamaru sighed as cold droplets hit his face.

"It looks like we have more than enough time," said the brunette, earning him a light laughter from the girl next to him. Sakura decided to tell him everything, even some stuff she left out during her talk with Kakashi – he was out, on the ground, in the middle of a field, during a light shower of rain. '_Might as well,_' was her only thought. When Sakura was done with her story, Shikamaru got up on his elbows and looked at Sakura. He knew she was hiding something, but decided that she would tell him whenever she was ready. His expression was serious at first, but then he offered a small smile.

"I don't blame you for what happened to Choji", he said. "If anything, it just proves that he can handle his own. And it if he's willing to pick a fight with someone for messing with you, then it just means that you're really one of us. It's not your fault Sakura."

Sakura sighed. Looking up at Shikamaru, she said, "Doesn't it change what you think, or thought of me? I mean, the girl you guys met just yesterday was strong, confident, and independent. But, I just told you how I was before. I was weak, insecure, clingy, gullible, and everything that fits under those categories. I was pathetic."

"Troublesome," said Shikamaru. "'Was' Sakura. That's the most important part of that sentence. You're not anymore. Just because Sasuke made you believe that you weren't worth it, it doesn't mean that it's true." Sakura smiled as she sat up crossing her legs, and facing her friend as he continued. "And you are not pathetic. Don't ever think that you are, because if you do, I'll never forgive you."

Sakura knew that he meant what he said, even if his face had a playful smile on his lips, but she couldn't help but feel more at ease. They both lied back down and continued to let the droplets fall all over them. A good half hour passed before they decided to head for their separate houses. After a tight hug, Shikamaru mirrored his action from the day before and waved a hand over his head without turning around. Sakura walked slowly to her house, still enjoying the feeling of the cold water. Once she was at the house, she announced of her arrival before running up the stairs to put on a warm set of clothes. Putting on some blue sweat pants and large, red t-shirt that Naruto had given her a while back, (**A/N: I just typed in whatever first popped in my head….I looked in a mirror ha!**) Sakura felt a shiver run down her back. '_I know what that means,_' thought Sakura, '_I wonder if Shikamaru will wake up with a cold in the morning too._' Making her way downstairs, Sakura found her Baba in the kitchen working on dinner.

"How was school Sakura?" asked Baba. Sakura sniffed the air and sighed with contentment.

"That smells delicious Baba," breathed Sakura. "And school was -" cough "- good. I really liked some of the classes I had today. And one of my teacher's seems really cool."

"That's great to hear sweetheart," said Baba. Turning to face his granddaughter, he frowned. "Sakura, your hair is all wet. Did you get caught in the rain?"

Sakura laughed. "Sort of. I knew it was going to rain since the morning, but I didn't feel like coming back for an umbrella. When I was walking home, it started to rain and, uh, heh, my friend Shikamaru and I kinda-sorta sat in the middle of the field for a while." Baba immediately stopped what he was doing at the mention of Shikamaru's name. Sakura blushed as his eyes narrowed suspiciously at her.

"Shikamaru?" repeated Baba. "And just who is this Shikamaru fellow?"

"He's a friend Baba," answered Sakura. "Just a friend."

"And why were you two sitting in the middle of the field while it was raining?"

Sakura sat down, her stomach grumbling. "We were talking Baba; we were just getting to know each other. And before you ask, I was the one who laid down on the grass first. I guess Shikamaru didn't want to just leave me there, and went to lie down with me." Baba stared at her with narrowed eyes for a few more seconds before turning back to his cooking.

"Shikamaru huh," muttered Baba. "Well at least he had enough gentleman qualities to not leave a young lady on the ground by herself. But still, you should have known better than to lie down on wet grass during some rain. It'll be a miracle if you don't wake up with a cold tomorrow."

"I know, I know," said Sakura. "I'm sorry. But you know how much I like the rain. Especially since there's barely any back in Jomae. But anyway, is dinner almost ready? I'm starving."

"It should be ready in twenty minutes. Go do your homework, or chill or hang, or whatever it is you teenagers do nowadays."

Sakura laughed as she walked out the kitchen and went upstairs to get her red, not to mention wet, backpack. Bringing it down with her to the living room, she sat with her legs up on the sofa and a notebook on her knees. '_Hmm, let's see. I have to write a full page essay for the question Ibiki wrote on the board on Monday. Shikamaru said that it's just coming up with an answer that we can argue through. Ok, let's see the question... Whoa! What is this!_' Sakura reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Looking through her contacts, she found the number she was looking for.

"Hello?" answered the person on the other line.

"Hey Ino," replied Sakura, "It's me Sakura -"

"Hey Sakura!" exclaimed Ino. "What's up?"

"I have a question," said Sakura. "It's about Ibiki's Logic question he gave us for homework. It's different than the question he asked us yesterday." Sakura heard the girl on the other line start to laugh.

"You mean the question he asked you," said Ino, still giggling. "He only asked the question yesterday because he wanted to torture you – he did that in the beginning of classes too. But his classes are usually based on the questions he asks in our homework. What question did he give us again?"

Sakura pulled up her notebook and read out loud, "'Would your life be better or worse if you knew the day, time, and place that you were going to die? Make an argument for both, yes and no answers.'" Even though she didn't see her, Ino nodded on her side of the line.

"Yep, he usually gives questions like those. Just write an argument on both sides."

"But it seems more like a personal question," said Sakura. "There doesn't seem like much logic is involved at all."

"Because there's not," explained Ino. "It's just about what you think, and how well you can stand in your argument."

The pinkette took it all in before replying, "I see. Alright, thanks Ino."

"No problem," said Ino. "Call me if you need any more help." With that, Sakura ended the call and started tapping the end of her pencil on her notebook. '_I definitely wouldn't want to know when I would die_' thought Sakura, '_I would be so paranoid about how it would happen, and even the smallest thing would scare me. And it would suck if the date turned out to be the day after I found out, or an hour later…but then again, what if it was years before it happened? I would try to do as much as I could before that day: do things that I have only dreamed of before I would die…Hmm…_' After 15 minutes of writing down her thoughts, she heard her Baba calling out that dinner was ready. The pasta that her grandfather made was undoubtedly _amazing_! Sakura was definitely hungry, and the third serving of pasta proved it. When dinner was over, and all the dishes were clean, Baba joined his granddaughter in the living room as she continued with her homework. He put on a soft song that filled the room. It was, by far, the most relaxing thing Sakura had ever heard.

"What song is that Baba?" asked the pinkette, closing her eyes, and focusing on nothing but the music.

"'Slow Down' by Paul Collier," answered Baba, his eyes also closed. "Relaxing isn't it. It brings a sense of peace to me whenever I play it. Do you like it?" Sakura simply nodded her head. When the song was over, Baba went over to play another song; this time there were words and a tiny bit of country in it. "'For the Good times', Kris Kristofferson," said Baba before she could ask (**A/N: You guys should listen to it. Not only does it fit with the mood of the story, but it's a really good song**). As the song continued, Baba started swaying with the music, his eyes closed. Sakura watched silently as her grandfather danced by himself in the middle of the room. When it hit the chorus, Baba walked over to Sakura, lending out a hand. Sakura was at first confused, but then she put her notebook and pencil aside, and took her grandfather's hand. Baba pulled her to the middle of the living room, placing a hand on the middle of her back, and holding out her hand with the other. They danced quietly to the music; the only other sound was the distant rain.

Sakura rested her head on her Baba's shoulder, feeling a mixture of tranquility, serenity, and peace, fill her whole body. She had never heard this song before, but it immediately became one of her favorites, especially when she heard Baba singing under his breath. "…_I'll get along; you'll find another,_" he sang, "_And I'll be here if you should find you ever need me. Don't say a word about tomorrow or forever, there'll be time enough for sadness when you leave me…_" Something about that verse brought tears to Sakura's eyes. She let go of Baba's hand and wrapped it around his round waist, hugging him tight. Baba placed his free hand on Sakura's head, running his fingers smoothly through her hair. When the song was nearing the end, Baba kissed her forehead and rested his chin on her head, a soft smile gracing his lips.

* * *

><p><strong>:)(:<strong>

Just to make it clear - Baba's character _will_ be a very important subject for future chapters, and don't worry - Sasuke and Sakura's past will be revealed. I won't say when because that will just ruin the surprise ;) Anyway, that's Chapter 3! Review and let me know what you think, I'd appreciate it! Until next week! :D


	4. Chapter 4

Hello people! How have you been? I hope ya'll been doing good. Anyway, it's Friday, so you know what that means! Time to jam to Rebecca Black! WOO! Jk, jk...I mean it - JK! Lol, sorry I'm just really hyper right now; I've had too much sugar today XD That aside - I present to you, Chapter 4! Finally, some Shika/Saku action, and of course, you can't have a story without Naruto ;) lol.

**IMPORTANT NOTE DUE TO STORY:** (I'm just gunna copy this on each chapter...) The way I'll go about this story is that I'll update a new chapter every friday. If I miss one week, then I'll put up two chapters in the next. Got it? Great.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto! Just the idea of this story.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sakura woke up with a runny nose and bad headache. When she got up from bed, she had to balance herself by holding on to the dresser until she felt the room had stopped moving. Baba, of course, scolded her for staying out in the rain, and nearly insisted she stay home from school. But Sakura didn't want to. She wanted to be at school – maybe being out, getting some fresh air, will do her some good. Besides, she wanted to see if Shikamaru got it as bad as she did. '<em>I'll have to apologize for that if he did<em>', thought Sakura, grinning. Once she was ready for school, wearing some brown sweatpants, and a matching brown sweatshirt, and taking an umbrella forced on her by her grandfather, Sakura made her way across the field. Halfway through, she noticed a familiar figure standing on the opposite side. Reaching the end of the field, Sakura smiled at Shikamaru, and judging from his red nose, and teary eyes, he was definitely suffering from a cold like her.

"Good morning," said Sakura. Shikamaru nodded in greeting after a small sneeze. "You too?"

"Looks like it," replied Shikamaru in a, more-than-usual, tired voice. "I hate being sick. It's so troublesome." Sakura laughed, but she had to agree. After another sneeze, Shikamaru held out his arm and said, "Shall we?" Sakura grinned as she placed her arm through his and together they walked to the school building.

"So," said Sakura. "This is -" sneeze "- new. Why'd you decide to wait for me today?"

"Seeing how you would just lay in the middle of a field during some rain," explained Shikamaru, "I realized how" sneeze "careless you are. So, I decided I might as well walk with you to school before you decide to jump in front of a bus or something." That earned him a smack on his firm abs; this time, they were noticed a little bit longer than briefly.

"I am not" sneeze "careless!" said Sakura. "I just….like rain…"

"I can tell," mumbled Shikamaru with a smirk.

Once the pair reached the school, Shikamaru let go of a confused Sakura's arm. Noticing the girl's confusion, Shikamaru winked and walked off to his locker. Still not knowing what he was implying, Sakura went over to her own locker and put in her bag, taking out the book she would need for her first period class. Homeroom didn't have the incident from the day before, much to the pinkette's delight, but when Shikamaru explained how they both became sick, Ino started nagging at them for being so careless, and Lee glared at Shikamaru throughout the remainder of their time there. The whole day was pretty much uneventful for Sakura; classes were as interesting as they could get, Sasuke didn't bother her, or even crossed paths with her, lunch was fun as usual, and then there was Ibiki's class.

"…would just be thinking about how it would happen, and I would just be paranoid," said a student from the opposite side of the classroom. Sakura watched Ibiki's frozen face; in the beginning of class, he said he wouldn't take the papers they had written, but he simply wanted them to discuss it as a class. So far, the students that had been called on said the same things that she had written down – and Ibiki was not impressed.

"All I'm hearing," retorted Ibiki, "is the same thing over and over again. Did any of you, anyone at all, go deeper into the question than what I asked?" Nobody moved. "So basically, what every single one of you are saying, is that you wouldn't want to know when you would die because you would be paranoid, but it would be nice to know so that you can accomplish a few of your goals?" Everyone continued to be quiet, other than a few sniffles and sneezes from Sakura and Shikamaru. Ibiki didn't bother hiding his annoyance and said, "This is very disappointing. Don't expect a passing grade – that goes for all of you."

Sakura sneezed, earning a glare from the teacher. She heard a giggle from the blonde next to her, which made Ino get a glare from the teacher as well. She saw Neji and Gaara smirking behind them, and Temari was looking up at the ceiling, trying to avoid making eye contact with Ibiki. Shikamaru was just sitting there, sniffling, and trying not to yawn. After another sneeze, an idea popped up in Sakura's head, and very, very, _very_ hesitantly, she raised her hand.

"Ibiki-sensei," squeaked Sakura, clearing her throat when she got the teacher's attention. "I-I was just wondering if it" sneeze "would be possible to add to the question?" Ibiki sat down behind his desk before gesturing her to continue. "Well, it's" sneeze "already been mentioned how we would be paranoid about how we would die, and all that. But would it be relevant if we would be able to control that?" That made Ibiki raise a brow.

"Interesting," said Ibiki. "What is it that you suggest?"

"I was thinking," replied Sakura, "that it would be a whole different story if it would be a suicide. If it was, then it would be more in our control, and we wouldn't be as paranoid -" sneeze.

"As paranoid?" asked Ibiki. "So you would still be paranoid. Why is that?" Sakura shrunk into her chair at his piercing gaze and felt as if her voice was gone from her. Noticing her friend in trouble, Ino raised her hand.

"I think," said the girl, "that what Sakura meant was that, even if it was a suicide, we would wonder what would make us go to that extent. We would wonder why we would take our own lives, and after a while, we would take even the smallest misgivings as a sign that we would end up hurting ourselves."

"Would that really settle into the timeline argument?" continued Ibiki.

"Yes" said Gaara. "Our paranoia and our control over our fate depend on how far the date of our supposed death is."

"'Supposed'? How so?"

"If the death date," explained Neji, "was, say 20 to 30, maybe even 2 years from now, we would still be in danger of feeling depressed and end up, as Ino said, 'hurting ourselves', because so much can happen in that time span." Temari nodded and continued from there.

"If we were supposedly going to commit suicide the next day, or even the next five minutes, we would most likely be able to stop ourselves from doing such a thing. That way, we would be able to say that we had total control over the fate of our lives."

"Interesting," said Ibiki, a smirk tugging on his lips. "That is a good argument from all of you - at least about the suicide admission. Now, I don't suppose you have anything to add to the argument without the mention of suicide?" They all stayed quiet, not knowing what to say, and they knew that the rest of the class wouldn't jump in; they were all holding their breaths until one of them spoke, which one of them did.

Shikamaru sighed a small 'troublesome', before saying, "It all depends on taking a chance and taking a risk."

"Aren't those the same thing?"

"Not technically," replied the black-haired boy, letting out a sniffle. "By taking a chance, we would just hear about something" sneeze "going to happen, without really taking into consideration that something bad will occur. Most people would 'take a chance' by thinking that their death date will be set for a time later on in their lives. Unless that person is already in their older years, they probably take the" sneeze "chance to hear about it so they could know how much time left they have to cherish what they have. By taking a risk, a person will hear something they would rather not; something like, 'you will die tomorrow', 'you will get shot in the head', and so on. Learning when and where and how you will die will be chancing and risking your feel" sneeze "ings on the subject, and your health and relationships."

"Health and relationships?" asked Ibiki, clearly surprised. "I didn't expect that. How would a person jeopardize their health by learning about their death?"

"It" sneeze "all goes back to the paranoia. Learning about your death, if you find out how you will die, say food poisoning, they could jeopardize their health by not eating from being paranoid that the food in front of them will end up killing them. Relationships because say your death will be from drowning – you'll be scared to move into a house that has a pool, and refuse to live there, no matter how much your spouse will want to. It'll be all about _you_ and what _you_ think _you _will need to survive, rather than the benefit of others."

All of the other students in the classroom, even Sakura, were gawking at Shikamaru. The others because they always thought he was lazy and didn't know right from left, but Sakura because she had never heard Shikamaru talked that much in all the time she had known him. His voice still had that small amount of laziness and boredom in it, but the more he talked, the more Sakura realized how smooth and alluring his voice was. She continued to stare at the boy, a small blush filling her cheeks, when she felt a hand over hers under the table. Looking over at Ino, she saw the blonde giving her a knowing smile, and winking at her, causing her blush to go a darker shade. Then they heard it. A clap. And then another. And another. Everyone took their eyes off of Shikamaru and turned their attention to the man in front of the room. Ibiki-sensei was still sitting behind his desk, but he had an impressed smirk on his face, and he was clapping loudly. When he stopped, he stood up and went to stand in front of Sakura and Ino's desk.

"Now that is what I wanted to hear," announced Ibiki. "This group right here -" he gestured towards Sakura, Ino, and the others behind them "- just showed all of you what this class is about. I don't give you these homework assignments to hear what I already know. I want you to think; I want you to dig deeper into the question; I want you to surprise me." The bell rang at that moment, and all of the students, except for the small group in front of the teacher, ran out the door. The others were glued to their seats as Ibiki stood in front of them, a triumphant expression on his face. "Since you six were the only ones to actually bring something new to the discussion – you pass. Now, get out." They didn't need to hear that twice. Closing in to the door, Sakura heard the teacher call out to her.

"Yes Ibiki-sensei?" said the pinkette, turning around to face him.

"That was impressive," said Ibiki. "I know you started that discussion out of the top of your head."

Sakura sneezed as she rolled on the bottom of her feet before saying, "You didn't seem very happy." He was clearly not expecting her to say that. But it was true. Sakura never liked awkward silences, and Ibiki looked like he was on the verge of having a migraine. So, it only seemed right for _someone_ to try to do something.

"I was not," agreed Ibiki. "But you did well Sakura. And, thank you."

Sakura walked out of the room, smiling. Gaara and Temari stayed behind to wait for her, giving her a 'well done' and 'good job'. Once she got all her stuff, Sakura went outside to say bye to the friends that were going the opposite way, and walked along with those that remained. Once again, the last two that were left were her and Shikamaru. There were a few sneezes and newly added coughs every now and then, before they went separate ways. The only thing different about today was that Sakura was the one to walk off first, and Shikamaru was left to stare at the retreating figure.

Shikamaru didn't know what to think of the girl. She was caring, smart, strong-willed, and…beautiful. Ok, yeah, he can admit that. He, Shikamaru, is attracted to the pink-haired female. How could he not be? She had a body to die for; her eyes were an amazing shade of green that had tiny specks of gold when she looked up at sunlit sky; her creamy skin was as smooth as velvet; her long pink hair was soft and silky; her smile was amazing, being able brighten up a room, with teeth so straight and white – wait, is he really thinking about the girl's _teeth_? Wow, this cold is really getting to him. But watching her walk away and mimicking his action of waving a hand over her head, he couldn't help but think. Would it really be so bad if he went after the girl? Sure, he'll have to wait until she's more situated to her life here, and he'll receive Hell from Lee, but it'll be worth it, right? '_Girls,_' thought Shikamaru. '_They are just so….troublesome._' With that thought in mind, he walked off, not even bothering to hide the ghost of a smile on his face.

**:)(:**

The next day, everyone was in their Creative Writing class with Kakashi reading over their homework assignments. So far, he seemed pretty pleased with the ones he read, but there weren't much; only 13 people in the class turned in their papers on time (**A/N: Guess which people lol**). The only thing that worried that group of students was that he had put only one to the side; was that good or bad? They didn't know. Right now, everyone was focused on their in-class assignment: writing about an old experience from a plane, car, passerby, and personal point of view. The assignment was basic, but it was the memories that made everyone laugh. At the end of the class, Kakashi-sensei called Gaara to stay behind. Telling everyone he would catch up to them at lunch, Gaara stood on the opposite side of the teacher's desk. It wasn't until lunch that Sakura saw Gaara again. He was by the door leading to the outside, and he didn't look very happy. Then again, did he ever?

"Are you alright Gaara?" asked Sakura, walking up to him. When he didn't answer, she asked, "Did everything go ok with Kakashi-sensei?" He nodded. "What happened?"

"We talked about my homework assignment," replied Gaara. "He wanted to ask if I was thinking of anything in particular when I wrote it."

"Were you?" asked Sakura. When he nodded, she said, "What was your topic?"

"The enjoyment that comes from ignoring a babbling idiot – I was inspired by Kiba." Sakura laughed at his reply, making him smile.

When she was done laughing, Sakura said, "So, how'd it go?"

"Kakashi said it was the best essay he's had all year," replied Gaara, trying to hide his grin. "And he wants to enter it in an essay contest, where the winner receives a 3-days' trip to an amusement park of the winner's choosing, for him and whoever he wants to bring along." Sakura was jumping up and down before he even finished his sentence.

"GAARA! That's amazing!" exclaimed Sakura, taking hold of his hands. "I'm so happy for you Gaara." Gaara let out a laugh at the still jumping female. Sakura realized it was the first time she had ever heard him laugh, and took the chance of wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt him stiffen at her touch, but he soon returned the hug whole-heartedly. Letting go, Sakura smiled at him. "Congratulations!"

"I haven't won yet," chuckled Gaara. "They won't announce the winner until the next school year around August or something, and there's still a chance I won't even win."

"Nonetheless," said Sakura waving it off. "It's still great."

The rest of lunch was filled with excitement after Sakura told them the news; Gaara didn't want to be the one to announce it. Kankuro was already certain that his brother would win, and that soon they would all be on their way to the best amusement park, found only in Kumogakure (**A/N: Land of Lightning**). After lunch, Sakura went to Science, and after that, she and Choji went off to detention during their free period, having Ino, Kiba, and Kankuro hum funeral music as they walked off. The only thing they had to do was sit quietly in a room, and do absolutely nothing for an hour. It wouldn't have been so bad if Sasuke wasn't sitting in the back of the room, glaring at the back of their heads. Kakashi was watching over them during their detention, and Sakura couldn't be happier. All he did was sit on his desk and bury his face in an orange book. Choji and Sakura spent that period passing notes and playing hangman; one of the best detentions Sakura's ever had, and thanks to Naruto, she's been in quite a lot of detentions.

**:)(:**

As soon as detention was over, Sasuke was already out the door, causing the last two students in the class to sing the chorus of 'Hallelujah', making Kakashi smirk as he waved them off. Walking out of the school building, Sakura waved Choji goodbye as he walked the other direction. She made it around the corner to the bus stop when she found a surprise for her on the bench. Shikamaru was sitting there, his hands in his pockets and a bored, yet relaxed, expression on his face as he gazed up at the clouds. She went to stand on the edge of bench, her surprise showing in her eyes. Shikamaru looked over at her and smirked, silently inviting her to sit next to him, which she did.

"I thought I'd wait for you," said Shikamaru. Sakura gave a small snort.

"Obviously," said Sakura. "And to what do I owe this pleasure Nara?"

"Nara?" replied Shikamaru, looking at her with raised eyebrows. "I didn't know we were on last name terms _Haruno._ And since you were kind enough to ask, I didn't want you to walk home alone after detention. I didn't want you to run into trouble."

"How would I run into trouble?" asked Sakura. "The only reason I got out later than the rest of you is from getting into trouble in the first place." Shikamaru didn't answer her. Instead, he just took Sakura's hand into his own and looked up into the sky. It was then that Sakura understood. "You think that Sasuke would have tried something?"

"I don't know," said Shikamaru simply. "But that's just it. I don't know anything about the guy – only that he is a complete, egotistical jerk. But I wasn't going to risk you walking home alone, and him following you or something. Just thinking about it is so….troublesome." Sakura laughed.

"What is it with you and that word?" chuckled Sakura. "Most of your sentences always end with something being 'troublesome'."

Shikamaru smirked. "Because they are," was his answer. "School is troublesome. Chores are troublesome. Homework is troublesome. Having to wake up early in the morning is troublesome. Girls are most definitely troublesome -"

"Including me?" asked Sakura in mocking disbelief, causing Shikamaru to grin.

"You are, by far, the most troublesome of them all."

Sakura smacked his shoulder playfully. After their banter, they sat in the bench just looking up at the sky. Shikamaru was practically lost in the clouds, and Sakura, not really knowing how he can go hours just looking up at the clouds, closed her eyes and felt herself slowly going to sleep. She could've sworn she had just closed her eyes for a few seconds, but when they opened again, she realized that the sun had moved and it was a tad bit darker than it was before. '_Wow,_' thought Sakura, '_I can't believe I fell asleep and Shikamaru didn't wake me up…Shikamaru!_' Snapping her head up, she noticed Shikamaru had been looking down before he turned his attention to her. Sakura looked down at Shikamaru's lap and realized that he was still holding her hand after – how long has she been asleep? Minutes? Hours? – and that realization made her blush. Shikamaru simply smiled softly at the semi-awake girl, making her blush more.

"I'm – I'm sorry," stammered Sakura, backing away from the boy. "I didn't even realize I fell asleep."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said, "I didn't even notice you were asleep until a few minutes after you stopped moving."

"How long was I sleeping?"

"About half an hour," replied Shikamaru with a shrug. "Not that long." Still, Sakura's eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

"Half an hour!" exclaimed Sakura. "I slept for half an hour and you didn't wake me up?" The boy gave another shrug.

"I didn't mind," said the black-haired boy. "Like I said, I didn't even notice at first, and you seemed like you could use the few minutes of sleep. Besides," he turned away, hiding his blush, "you looked – cute – when you were sleeping." Sakura's face color was putting her hair to shame. She felt that feeling of ease and happiness fill her and tried her best not to burst out laughing. '_I mean come on!_' she thought, '_I can't just laugh after he'd say something as sweet as that! Gah, I'll just smile like an idiot then…_' And she did.

"So, should we head off?" asked Shikamaru, still looking away, not noticing the goofy smile on the girl's face. Not waiting for an answer, he stood up, still not letting go of Sakura's hand, and gave her a small tug so she would stand. They walked hand-in-hand the entire way to the field, neither one wanting to break the comfortable silence. When they reached their parting point, they stood there for a while, not really knowing what to say, or how to even start. It was Shikamaru, finding the whole awkward silence thing too troublesome, who decided to break the silence.

"I guess I'll see you on Monday." '_That's the best you can come up with Shikamaru?_' he thought, mentally slapping himself.

"Uh, yeah," said Sakura. "Thanks again for waiting, and, um, yeah, sorry for falling asleep."

"Don't worry about it," repeated Shikamaru. "But if you keep saying sorry, then I will have you pay me back." Sakura scoffed at the statement.

"Pay you back with what?" she said. "It was just a 30 minute nap!"

"That I had to wait for you to wake up from."

"You could've woke me up!"

"But then I wouldn't have this much fun."

"You still – wait, what?"

Shikamaru laughed at the girl's confusion before saying, "That – your face right there – was priceless."

"You said this was fun for you," said Sakura. "What was fun?"

"Arguing with you," said Shikamaru, chuckling. "It's fun seeing you all fired up. If you were mad for real, then, it would be troublesome. But I knew you wouldn't take this seriously."

"Are you saying you planned this? You did this on purpose?" asked Sakura, still confused. Shikamaru shrugged.

"Did what?"

With that, he let go of Sakura's hand and walked off, allowing his smirk to appear when she couldn't see his face. He could sense that Sakura was struggling to come up with a smart comment to yell at him, but before she could, he waved a hand over his head. Sakura watched him go, steam practically coming out of her ears. But as she watched him do the wave thing, she let out a giggle. Watching him walk off, and still feeling the warmth of his hand around hers, Sakura finally admitted to herself that she was possibly falling for the cloud-watching, lazy boy. '_Four days Nara,_' thought Sakura. '_It took you only four days to have me like you._' Getting to her house, Sakura did the same as the days before: announce she was home, do some homework in the living room while waiting for food, help wash and dry the dishes, and finish her homework as Baba listened to music. When she was done, she bid goodnight to her grandfather, giving him a light kiss on the cheek, and made her way upstairs. She threw her bag on the chair at her desk and jumped onto her bed. Reaching over to the table next to her bed, Sakura grabbed the house phone and dialed a number she knew like the back of her hand. After a few rings, she finally heard someone on the other line.

"Hello?" answered a male voice.

"Hey Uncle Jiraiya," said Sakura. "It's me, Sakura."

"Sakura!" exclaimed Jiraiya. "Wow, it's great to hear from you. How have you been?"

"Good," replied Sakura. "Pretty good actually."

"How's the new school?"

"I like it," said Sakura, smiling. "The people are great; classes are great; it's -"

"Great," finished Jiraiya with a smirk. "Sounds – great." They laughed at his word choice before Sakura got to the reason of why she was calling.

"So, how's Naruto doing?" she asked. "Is he there?"

Jiraiya nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see. "Yeah, he and Sai are upstairs fighting over the TV remote."

"Sai?" said Sakura, surprised. "What is he doing there so late?"

"Oh, right," said Jiraiya, "you haven't heard. We found out Sai was pretty much abandoned by his old guardian, Danzo, so I decided to take him under my wing. So now, I am the legal guardian of both, Naruto and Sai." Sakura beamed.

"That's great!"

"It has its perks," said Jiraiya with an exaggerated sigh. "I'll tell you one thing Sakura: in this house, you can never get bored." Sakura laughed as she heard Jiraiya calling up to the boys. After a few moments, she heard running and shouting, and someone crying out, '_did you just bite me!_'

"Hello?" came a voice, breathing as if he had just run a marathon.

"Hey Sai!" exclaimed Sakura.

"Hey Sakura – Naruto bit me!" A voice in the background yelled out, '_I did not!_'

Before Sakura could reply, there was shuffling on the other end of the line. All that could be heard was shouting, shuffling, and…growling?

"Guys?" said Sakura. "Uh, hello -? Guys, come on. GUYS!" As soon as she yelled, everything on the other end went silent. "…hello?"

"Hey Sakura!" greeted the voice of Naruto.

"Hey Naruto. Where's -"

Sai's voice cut her off, "I'm here. I got the other phone from the living room."

"Great," said Sakura. "I missed you guys."

"I missed you too," cried Naruto.

"Me as well," said Sai. "How's the new life?"

Sakura smiled. She told them everything that's happened so far, leaving out the whole Sasuke situation, deciding that she would leave it for last. She told them about her friends, about her teachers, and about her classes. Although she couldn't see them, she could sense that they were smiling when she talked about her new group of friends, and smirking when they heard how weird or intimidating her teachers were. When she got to the classes, they burst out laughing as she told him about almost crying in her Logic class.

"It was so horrible!" cried Sakura. "I mean yeah, the next class was so much better, and I like it _now, _but the first day was just so….harsh."

"That guy sounds like a badass," snickered Naruto. "And that Guy teacher of yours sounds so weird."

"So what about you guys?" asked Sakura. "What's it like living together?"

That was a mistake. The guys spent the next hour and a half complaining and nagging about the other person. Sakura just stayed quiet the entire time, letting out a giggle every now and then. She heard stories like Naruto putting itching powder on all of Sai's clothes, making him be itchy throughout a whole school day; he had to scratch his back, his legs, and his…other stuff. Another story was Sai making a "surprise" breakfast feast for Naruto, saying it was his way of showing how he wasn't mad about the itching powder 'incident'. However, the surprise was that everything on the table had been a few weeks _past_ its expiration date: Naruto spent _that_ whole school day in the boy's restroom. Except when he thought he was feeling better; Naruto left the boys' restroom, ready to kill Sai, when he heard his stomach snarl. He ran to the nearest restroom: the girls'. Hard to believe this happened all in one week huh.

"…and he just came up to me and gave me a wedgie!" shouted Naruto from another story. Sakura laughed as he finished his story, loving how much not much had changed between the two. It really made her realize how long the past week had truly been.

"So," said Sakura slowly, "what I'm hearing is….you guys like living together..?" There was silence on the other line. Seconds passed, before someone answered.

"I guess it's not so bad," said Sai.

"I don't mind it that much," agreed Naruto. Sakura smiled, but then she remembered something.

"Oh!" she said. "I almost forgot. I had detention today."

"Already?" asked Sai, flabbergasted.

"Aw," cooed Naruto. "I'm so proud of you." Silence. "What? Even when I'm not there, Sakura is still creating mischief."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I was not 'creating mischief'. I got in trouble because of…because of Sasuke Uchiha." She heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, but couldn't figure out from who. The boys were quiet, and she wondered if the call might have cut off.

"S-Sasuke?" whispered Naruto. Sakura nodded even though he couldn't see. "That – that jerk goes to the same school as you?"

"I didn't even know until I walked into my first class," explained Sakura. "He was there with that girl from before – you know, the girl with red hair and glasses?"

"Karin?"

"Was that her name?" Naruto confirmed it was. "Ok, yeah, Karin. He hangs out with her and two other guys, Suigetsu and Jugo. They call themselves the Taka."

Sai took that chance to ask, "So how did Sasuke land you in detention?"

Not leaving anything out, Sakura told them the entire story, from beginning to end. She even went so far as to tell them about confessing part her and Sasuke's past to Choji, Shikamaru and Kakashi. She added of how her new group of friends and the Taka had a silent cold war going on. By the time she finished, the other line was dead silent. She knew that Sai was waiting for Naruto to speak first and she followed his lead. After a few moments, she could've sworn Naruto was letting out a growling sound when he spoke.

"I can't believe," he growled slowly, "that he had the nerve to say that to you."

"Don't worry about it," said Sakura quickly. "He was just being a jerk -"

"He still didn't have a right!" shouted Naruto. "After all that he put you through -"

"I can take care of myself!" cried Sakura. "Look, I know you worry about me Naruto, and you'll worry even more now that you know that Sasuke is here. But, not only am I surrounded by a large group of amazing people, but I am not the same girl I was when we all lived in Jomae. I'm not gullible or weak; I can handle my own. You just need to trust me on that Naruto."

"I do," muttered the blonde. "I do trust you Sakura, I really do. It's just….I'm scared." That caught Sakura off guard.

"B-but, you're Naruto," said Sakura. "You're not scared of anything."

"I'll let you in on a secret," whispered Naruto. "One of the main reasons why I took Sasuke's change so hard was because I wasn't able to protect you from him. I wasn't able to stop you from hurting. And right now, I'm scared that I won't be able to stop it if it happens again." Sakura sighed at his confession. Say what you want about Naruto, but the boy does have his deep, insightful moments.

"I don't want you to be scared," admitted Sakura. "I can't _have_ you being scared. If I'm going to make it through this year with Sasuke – because I know it won't be the last time he'll try something – I need to know I have your support. I need you to be strong for me Naruto. If you're not, then how do you expect _me_ to be?"

"I'm sorry Sakura," said Naruto. At that instant, insightful Naruto was gone, and hyperactive Naruto was back. "If that ass ever tries anything on you again, don't you dare break his bones – that's my job." Sakura laughed.

"You got a deal, Knucklehead."

Sai, who had been quiet throughout their whole conversation, finally jumped in. "Well, now that we got that settled – Sakura, tell me more about your friends." And so she did. The boys on the other end couldn't help but notice how she would babble on and on about a boy with the name of Shikamaru. She would talk most about a few girls, Ino and Hinata, and then some guys, Gaara, Choji, Shino and Lee – the latter was mostly playful complaining. But Shikamaru – if she could, she would talk for hours and hours about him. They just couldn't let that happen.

"...and he just laughed, saying it was 'fun' to argue with me" said Sakura, allowing a small laugh to escape. "But I have to admit, he's nice. He's lazy, for sure, but he's smart, and sweet, and cute -"

"Sakura," said Sai, cutting her off, "Sakura, uh, yeah, we get it. That Shikamaru fellow is, and I quote, 'a lazy, cloud-watching, intelligent, handsome, sweet' boy."

"Oh! And did I tell you that -"

"Whatever it is, YES!" yelled Naruto, giving an exaggerated sigh. "Sakura, if you keep talking about him, I swear I'll hang up on you."

"But Sai's on the same line as you," countered Sakura. "So technically, your line would still be up, you just wouldn't be part of the conversation."

"Sai!" cried Naruto.

"Sorry Naruto," said Sai. "But I'm just gunna let your plan backfire on you if you do hang up. Seems like the fun way to go." That earned a sarcastic remark from the blonde.

Sakura chuckled at the arguing pair. Looking over at the digital clock, she realized they had been talking on the phone for almost four hours. She grinned before saying, "I'm really glad I got to talk to you guys today," she said. "I've really missed you guys."

"Same here Sakura," said Sai.

"Jomae isn't the same without you," added Naruto. "Don't hesitate to call us every now and then, and we sure won't do the same to you."

"I'll call you on Sunday," said Sakura. "I promise. I just wanted to wait until the end of the week because I knew we would have a _lot_ to talk about."

"And we'll have much more," promised Sai. "Oh, but before you hang up Sakura, I wanted to say something about that Shikamaru guy -"

"Yeah," interrupted Naruto. "If he lays a hand on you – and I don't mean violently – I will kill him. Or at least make his life a living hell, especially if he tries to make you do something you don't want." Sai nodded in agreement.

"Sorry Sakura, but I have to agree with Naruto on this."

Scoffing, Sakura rolled her eyes. "Shikamaru is a friend!" she declared. "There is nothing – _nothing –_ you have to worry about."

"There better not," grumbled Naruto before sighing. "Alright, I guess we'll talk to you later Sakura. Call us if you need anything, and remember: Sasuke is a jerk. But don't let him run you around; he's missing out on who you really are, and that's a shame for him."

"I have to agree with Naruto on that again," said Sai, surprising himself. "You don't know how much I hate saying that -" Naruto chuckled "- but you're not a puppet on strings anymore when it comes to that guy; you broke out, and you should be proud."

"I am proud -"

"Proud enough to tell your friends?" That silenced the pinkette. Sai took that chance to say, "If you trust your new friends as much as you make us think you do, then you'll have to tell them. But I mean: you will have to tell them _everything_."

"I will one day. I just -"

"We know you need time Sakura," said Sai, "but sometimes, it's best if they know from the very beginning." Sakura sighed.

"I promise I'll them," stated Sakura. "When I'm ready – I'll tell them."

After a long goodbye, the trio hung up their phones, smiles on each of their faces. Back in Jomae, Naruto walked up behind Sai and nudged his shoulder.

"Our sister is alright," he said. The other boy nodded.

"She is alright."

Back in Konoha, Sakura laid on her bed for a few minutes, phone still in her hand, and gazed up at the glow-in-the-dark stars. A smile was on her face as the voices of her two best friends still rang in her ears. Looking back at this past week, she realized that she couldn't ask for it to be any better; Naruto and Sai did that on their own. '_I love those guys,_' she thought. '_If anyone can make me feel like I'm on the top of the world – it's them. And I'm glad that they're living together; we won't have to be three-way calling anymore._' Sakura chuckled, but then her face became serious. '_I am proud of who I am now. I really am, it's just – am I ready to tell the others of what I did? Of what happened back in Jomae? What if they think of me as pathetic? Sure Choji and Shikamaru said it would be ok, but they only got a half-assed explanation. Will they change their minds when I tell them? I guess there's only one way to find out. I'll tell them – someday….soon. I hope._' Sighing, Sakura sat up on her bed and put the phone on the stand. Looking around her room for something to do, something clicked. She ran to her desk and pulled out a notebook and a pencil. She wrote down pieces of conversation she has had with Choji, Kakashi, Shikamaru, and finally, Naruto and Sai. It wasn't much, but Sakura knew she could make something out of it; she'll just have to fill in the blanks.

When she was done with writing, she ran out of her room and in through the door to the left: her music room. Closing the door tightly, and making sure that the window was locked, Sakura turned on the amp and grabbed her electric guitar. Looking at the paper in her hands, she decided that most of what was written would be the chorus. Quietly, she played a few notes, singing along what she had so far to the sound, _"…__**she's so gone, that's so over now**__… hmm, hmm, hm__**, you won't run her around**__, …hmm hmmm, hmm mm hmm, hmm mm, __**the girl I used to be 'cause she... she so gone**__…_"

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><p>That was Chapter 4! I hope ya'll enjoyed it :D For the song in the end of the chapter, be ready by next week to know what it is lol; for those who already know, you probably watched the movie like I did ha. Anyway, if you guys have any suggestions for my writing, or any tips on how to make it better, don't be shy 'cause I'd love to hear what you have to say...I should stop writing huh...yeah, sorry. Alright, review! I'll appreciate it X] Until next week! :D<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Hey Everyone! It's not exactly Friday, but my laptop literally crashed this morning, and I spent the whole day trying to fix it. My laptop is the only place that I saved my story, and every other thing that's mine, so of course, I tried to get everything - and I did! I have Yahoo! Answers to thank for that lol. Anyway, here's Chapter 5 :D The song (if you didn't already know,) is called, **She's so Gone** from the movie Lemonade Mouth, and in this chapter there is more Shika/Saku action, but there is also a twist in the end - I hope you guys didn't expect this story to be short lol.

**IMPORTANT NOT DUE TO STORY:** I know I promised that I would update every Friday, but I'm sorry to say that I'm having writer's block right now. I don't know how long it'll last, but I will update in 2-3 weeks. Keep a look out for an update maybe the Friday after next, or the one after that. I promise there will be a new chapter by then...o.o

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto! Just the idea of this story.

Enjoy! :)

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><p>The weekend went by fast for Sakura as she continued writing her song. Saturday was spent all day in the music room, and Sunday, after another long phone call with Naruto and Sai early in the morning, Sakura spent the afternoon with her grandfather. They had gone to the town square to buy some groceries, cleaning supplies, and some new clothes for the pinkette. Of course, Baba had left her to go find clothes on her own, probably thinking that she would be picking out things that would give a grandfather a heart attack. However, nothing Sakura picked out was too revealing; sure there were a few shirts that exposed a bit of cleavage and others that showed off her slim waist, and some mini-skirts along with a few denim shorts that flaunted her long, smooth legs, but other than that, the clothing was pretty modest. '<em>Oh come on,<em>' thought Sakura, '_I _am _a teenage girl. I should feel free to wear some revealing stuff right? It's not like I'm wearing lingerie to school._' (**A/N: I just finished watching Easy A ha!**) When they got home, Baba made them some lunch and they had a small picnic in the backyard under the cherry blossom tree.

"I am very glad you like it here Sakura," said Baba, refilling her cup with some freshly made lemonade. "I was worried you wouldn't find it to your tastes."

"Are you kidding me?" scoffed Sakura. "How could it not? You left my room the way it was before, and for that I'm grateful; the remake of the bathroom was just…_incredible_; and I still can't believe you would buy all those instruments for me so I can have my own music room! That was the sweetest thing anyone could've done for me Baba." Baba smiled, taking a bite out of his sandwich as Sakura spoke. "I'm glad I'm here."

"As am I," said Baba. "So how are Naruto and Sai? You three were up pretty early talking on the phone." Sakura blushed at his observation, but was not given the chance to reply as her grandfather continued. "Do not be so surprised I know," he said. "I'm usually up early, most of the time before eight. I was just surprised how you were able to wake up so soon – yesterday you didn't wake up until after twelve."

"Heh, yeah well, I miss them," replied Sakura, taking a sip of her lemonade. "As much as I feel like I'm at home, they are still my best friends. I think leaving them back in Jomae was one of the hardest things I ever had to do."

"Well just know that they are welcomed here whenever they want," stated Baba. "I've only met them a couple of times, but I am very fond of those boys. They seem like they really care for you."

Sakura smiled fondly at the thought of her boys. "They do," she said. "I know they do. They're like brothers to me. I love those guys." Baba sighed, deciding it was time she knew the truth.

"You love those boys as brothers," repeated the elder man, earning a nod. "I'm sure they're on the path of loving you as a sister as well."

"What do you mean?" asked a confused Sakura. "Of course they do. Why would you say that Baba?"

"Have you ever noticed," said Baba, "how you were the only girl that those boys always, as you say, hung out with?" Sakura nodded, letting him continue. "Well Sakura, I know how you would always consider them as your best friends or brothers, but I think you forgot that in the end, they are boys." Baba observed as the words sunk in; Sakura's eyes widened as she finally understood what he meant.

"No!" shrieked Sakura, nearly dropping her lemonade. "No, Baba! They are my friends."

"Friends that saw the same girl every day," explained Baba. "Friends that grew up and hung out with the same girl every day. Friends that saw their best _girl_ friend blossom into a beautiful young woman. You didn't expect it not to go past the point of friendship did you?"

To say that Sakura was surprised, was definitely an understatement; she was undoubtedly shocked to hear how her two best friends – the people she considered her brothers – would have feelings for her. How could that be possible? Not once, in all the five or more years she's been with them, had she sensed that they saw her as more than a friend. But then she remembered how they would treat her compared to other girls. Sai, though he wouldn't let anything show on his face, would get angry if anyone tried to hurt her; he would be sad when she shed a tear; he would be happy when she laughed; and he would hold her when she needed the comfort, no matter how awkward it was for him. Then there was Naruto; Sakura and the indigo eyed boy had been friends ever since he switched the vials in chemistry – Sakura ended up mixing up the wrong chemicals, causing a huge explosion in their chemistry lab, and she had to be taken to the hospital. Naruto was in her hospital room every day, helping her with what he could, and at the same time asking for her forgiveness. That's when Sakura realized how funny and sweet the boy was. Naruto always took care of her after that day; protecting her when she felt threatened; making her laugh so she wouldn't feel bad; letting her know that she was never alone and that she always had someone to count on. That's when she remembered.

"Before they left," whispered Sakura, mostly to herself, "Naruto say that he loved me. I didn't think he meant….what I now think he meant. Oh god…I never meant to give them the wrong idea, Baba, I honestly didn't." Baba sighed, placing a hand over hers.

"I know you didn't" replied her grandfather. "And believe me, my sweet Sakura, they know you meant them no harm. They know you well enough to not let this get between your friendships."

"But Baba -"

"Don't worry Sakura," chuckled Baba. "They will move on, they just need time. But judging from how well you three talk on the phone, I'd say that they are already seeing you as they should." Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Baba beat her to it. "I think, that the reason they, I guess _thought_, they were in love with you, is because you were the only girl that ever took the chance to know them. Your bond with those boys is strong Sakura. Do not let something like this break it."

Nodding, Sakura only had one more question to ask. "Why would you tell me this Baba? Wouldn't it have been better if I didn't know at all?"

"You'd think so," replied the elder man, "but I wanted you to know so that you wouldn't be blinded to their feelings. As you say, you consider them as your brothers, so you should take their feelings into consideration even you don't return their affections. The least you can do for them is make it fair don't you think?" Smiling, Sakura nodded.

"So I guess I shouldn't tell them about this conversation huh," supposed Sakura. "It would be too awkward."

"That's up to you," laughed Baba. "But if you were to ask me, I think it would be best if you just let it go, but to always remember that they care, and to never doubt that."

"I won't Baba," replied Sakura. "Thanks."

**:)(:**

The rest of the afternoon was spent talking about school and Sakura's classes; that sure seemed like a popular topic this week. Baba kept giving her knowing glances whenever she mentioned Shikamaru, and frowned when she admitted to having detention. Of course after she explained the situation, he couldn't really scold her. Instead, he just told to stay clear of the Sasuke fellow, and Sakura agreed whole-heartedly. Once lunch was over, and after giving Baba a kiss on the cheek, Sakura went upstairs to her music room to start on the recording of her new song, starting with the instruments before going into the vocals. She was so into her work that she didn't even notice the sun had set, and someone was ringing the doorbell. Downstairs, Baba looked through the peephole before answering to two young ladies.

"Yes?" asked Baba politely. In front of him stood two girls, one with a long, blonde ponytail, and the other with long raven colored hair, and misty grey eyes.

"Hi," said the blonde. "Mr. Haruno?" Baba nodded. "I'm Ino, and this is Hinata. We're friends of Sakura."

Baba beamed at them and moved to the side to let them enter. "Oh, of course! Sakura has told me so much about you. Come in, come in." The girls walked in, taking in their surroundings as Baba gave them more room. "My name is Yasuo Haruno, Sakura's grandfather. So to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Um, we came to see if Sakura would like to join us at the field," said Hinata shyly. "A bunch of our friends are getting together to hang out, and we would love it if Sakura would come."

"I'm sure she would love to," said Baba. "Right now, she's upstairs in her music room. She's been up there since the afternoon. If you'd like, you can go up – you just go upstairs, turn right, and it'll be the door on the left." Nodding, and giving soft '_thank you_'s, the girls went upstairs.

They found the room quite easily, considering there were only three doors and only one was on the left. The door was closed, so Hinata gently knocked on it a few times. When there was no answer, Ino tried knocking, this time it was louder. Sakura, who had just finished recording the backup vocals, was taking a short break before she heard someone banging on the door. She knew it wasn't Baba because he would be less abrasive, so she was confused and wondered who it would be. Opening the door, she found a blushing Hinata, and an impatient Ino.

"Uh, hi," said Sakura, still not over the surprise. "What are you guys doing here?"

Ino walked past her and, while looking around the room, she said, "We came to see if you wanted to come and hang out with us over at the field…" Hinata smiled at Sakura as she also stepped into the room.

"Everyone will be there," she said. "Most of guys are there, and Temari and Tenten are there too." She leaned closer to the pinkette to whisper in her ear, "And I'm sure Shikamaru will be happy to come if he knows you'll be there." Sakura blushed at the statement, earning a giggle from the raven haired girl.

"So what do you got here Sakura?" asked Ino, pushing down a few keys on the keyboard. "Your grandfather said you've been here all day. This is _your_ music room?"

Nodding, Sakura replied, "Yeah. My Baba bought all this stuff just for me before I moved here. He got all the instruments I could play, made the room soundproof -"

"This is amazing Sakura," acclaimed Hinata. "I didn't know you could play all these instruments."

"I learned all this when I was little," explained Sakura, feeling proud of herself. "Baba knew I loved music, so he really went all out."

"So what have you been working on?" asked Ino, looking over the recording system. "Your granddad said you've been here since the afternoon." Sakura raised a brow at Ino's bluntness, but didn't comment on it.

"I was working on a new song," replied the pinkette. "I'm almost done; I just need to record the main vocals."

"So everything else is already recorded?"

"Yup."

"Can we hear you sing Sakura?" asked Hinata, her eyes pleading. Ino went to stand by them and nodded in agreement, grinning. Sakura looked from one girl to the other before finally giving in.

"Alright," she sighed, "Just….don't judge. I'm not a professional after all." Walking over to the recording system, she put on the sound-canceling headphones and played the music. Ino and Hinata looked at each other as they heard the bass and drums start off the song as Sakura took in a breath and began to sing.

"_(Yeah, yeah, yeah)  
>Insecure,<br>In a skin,  
>Like a puppet- a girl on a string<br>Broke away – learn to fly  
>If you want her back, gotta let it shine.<br>So it looks like the joke is on you,  
>'Cause the girl that you thought you knew -<em>"

In an instant, the electric guitar was heard jamming out, and the drums started going faster.

"_She's so gone (she's so gone)  
>That's so over now –<br>She's so gone (she's so gone)  
>You won't run her around.<br>You can look, but you won't see,  
>The girl I used to be<em>  
>'<em>Cause she's –<br>She's so gone._"

The bass and the drums became the only sounds again. Ino and Hinata were wide eyed, not expecting Sakura to be that good. The pinkette didn't look over to them, a blush forming on her cheeks as she readied herself for the next verse. Nodding her head to the music, she took in a breath and continued.

"_Here I am,  
>This is me –<br>And I'm stronger than you ever thought I'd be.  
>Are you shocked? Are you mad - ?<br>That you're missing out on who I really am.  
>Now it looks like the joke is on you,<em>  
>'<em>Cause the girl that you thought you knew -<em>"

"_She's so gone (she's so gone)  
>That's so over now –<br>She's so gone (she's so gone)  
>You won't run her around.<br>You can look, but you won't see  
>The girl I used to be<em>  
>'<em>Cause she's –"<em>

"_She's so gone, away,  
>Like history.<br>She's so gone.  
>Baby, this is me – yeah.<em>"

The music died down again, but just as it did, it started up again. Ino was already dancing on the side, and Hinata was beaming.

"_She's so gone (she's so gone)  
>That's so over now –<br>She's so gone (she's so gone)  
>You won't run her around.<br>You can look, but you won't see  
>The girl I used to be<em>  
>'<em>Cause she's –<em>"

"_She's so gone (that's so over now)  
>She's so gone (you won't find her around)<br>You can look, but you won't see  
>The girl I used to be<em>  
>'<em>Cause she's –<br>She's so gone._"

"_So long,  
>She's so gone.<br>Gone. Gone. Gone."_

The music died down and Sakura removed her headphones, making sure she saved the vocal recordings, before turning her attention to the two other individuals in the room. Both of the girls were clapping and jumping excitedly. Hinata was the first one to run to Sakura, wrapping her arms around the girl. Before Sakura could even register what was going on, Ino joined in the hug, wrapping an arm around each girl.

"That was awesome Sakura!" exclaimed the blonde. "I didn't know your screechy voice could sing like that!"

"Wow, thanks," said Sakura sarcastically, pulling away from the group hug.

"I'm kidding!" cried Ino. "You were amazing."

"Where did you learn to sing like that Sakura?" asked Hinata.

Blushing, Sakura replied, "I used to take singing lessons a few years ago. And I like to listen to all kinds of music, so I hear different styles of vocals, and that helps me develop my singing voice."

"You should sing for the others," said Ino. "I bet they won't expect you to be that good."

"No!" cried Sakura. The two girls stared at the pinkette in surprise by her outburst. Sakura sighed before saying, "Maybe someday, but not now. Right now, this is my thing, and…I just want to keep it mine…"

"It's alright Sakura," said Hinata, smiling softly. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"At least not now," continued Ino. "You will sing for all of us one day – right? Please?" Sakura laughed as Ino did her puppy dog face: pouting with her eyes seeming as if they were on the verge of tears. How could she say no?

"Alright, alright," agreed Sakura. "Anyway, why did you guys say you were here? I doubt it's because you missed me."

"Oh but we did," said Ino, sarcasm in her tone. "Two days away from you is like being bald. You are the hair to my skull Sakura; the air to my lungs; the sun to my day; the moon to -"

"Is there a point to your speech Ino? You're starting to scare me…"

Hinata giggled at her friends' playfulness. "As much fun as watching this is," she said, "the others are probably waiting for us Ino. We told them we would be right back." Ino rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Fine," uttered Ino. Looking at Sakura's confused expression, she said, "Everyone's getting together on the other end of the field. It's kind of our place, where we all just hang out. We came to see if you wanted to join us."

"Oh," replied Sakura. "Yeah, sure. Let me just get a snack from downstairs – I haven't eaten since lunch."

Nodding, the girls followed Sakura downstairs into the kitchen, where her grandfather was making himself a cup of tea. Ino and Hinata couldn't help but notice how much at home they felt whenever the elder man started off a conversation with them. They four of them were enjoying their time so much that they didn't even notice twenty minutes had already passed. By the time the girls left, Sakura's grandfather insisted for the girls to call him Baba, and to come by more often, which they promised they would do. Halfway across the field, Sakura was able to make out most of her friends; Shikamaru, Gaara, Kankuro and Temari being the ones missing.

"There you girls are," exclaimed Tenten, running up to them. "Ok, you two -" she pointed at Ino and Hinata "- never leave to get Sakura without me! Do you know how annoying it is to be with just _these_ guys as company?"

The girls laughed as Ino said, "It can't be that bad Tenten. Don't forget, Hinata is only with guys during her AP English classes."

"Yeah, the _smart_ guys," cried Tenten. "I'm talking about Lee, Kiba, and Choji…Neji and Shino were pretty much quiet."

"We promise it won't happen again," giggled Hinata. Ino and Sakura nodded in agreement as they joined the group, along with Gaara and his siblings that just showed up. They all sat or lied on the grass for almost half an hour before Shikamaru finally showed up. He went straight to where Sakura was laying down, to lie on the grass, resting his head on Sakura's stomach, earning a glare from Lee.

"It's about time you showed up," said Choji. "We thought you weren't gunna come."

"Yeah, right," replied Shikamaru. "Everyone here knows that I'll get to a place an hour later than the time they told me to get here." He felt Sakura's stomach tremble from under him as she let out a giggle.

"You two seem to be getting on quite well," grumbled Lee.

Temari laughed as the bushy-browed boy pointed out the obvious. "Don't tell me you're jealous Lee," she said. "Or really, you don't even have to. We can smell the jealousy radiating off of you." She and Tenten giggled as Lee sniffed his green t-shirt, thinking he sprayed on too much cologne.

"Changing the subject," said Gaara. "How did you like your first week here Sakura?"

The pinkette knew that he didn't really care about her week, or at least, not as much as he wanted people to think. Sakura knew that Gaara and Lee had a special kind of friendship; Gaara had injured the latter somehow, out of anger. Kankuro had told her that Gaara used to be – how did he describe the boy? Oh yeah – an evil monster. Gaara hated everyone and everything, until finally one day, something changed in him. Supposedly, he had been on a website one night on a chat room. He was talking to some random guy, or arguing was most likely, and that guy said something to him that made him completely change his ways (**A/N: ….yeah.**). Kankuro said he didn't know who the guy was, but he was grateful. Anyway, after his change, Gaara regretted what he did to Lee, and from then on, he would protect the boy with what he could, including not letting him be the center of attention when he didn't want to be - even if it meant putting Sakura on the spotlight.

"One of the best I've had so far," said Sakura with a smirk. She heard all the people around her giggle or chuckle at her reply. "But seriously, you guys made it awesome, so thanks." Kiba leaned down so his face would be over Sakura's.

"Aw," he cooed, "how sweet. I think I feel some tears coming." That earned him a smack in the arm from Ino.

"Very funny," said Ino, hiding her giggle. Remembering something, she clasped her hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Oh! I almost forgot! Guess what me and Hinata learned about Sakura today."

"Pink isn't her natural hair color?" '_Yes it is!_'

"She's a lesbian?" '_What? I'm straight!_'

"She has fallen in love with me, finally?" '_…um….no. Sorry._'

"She's an undercover spy?" '_That would be awesome actually…_'

"STOP!"

Ino shot everyone an exasperated look before saying, "Wow, you guys really suck at guessing!" Sakura leaned up a bit, not realizing her breast coming in close contact with Shikamaru's face, sending a pleading look towards Hinata. Knowing what that meant, Hinata knew she didn't want to be in the spotlight anymore.

"What we learned," said Hinata "is that, um, Sakura lives with her grandfather?" Everyone stared at her, causing her to blush before she continued. "Y-yeah, um, he's very sweet. He made us feel right at home, and he told us to call him Baba. Um, he was – he was -"

"Yeah, yeah," interrupted Ino, waving a hand. "Baba was awesome, even I admit that. But what we found out -"

"I sing."

The twelve teenagers' gaze wandered over to the pinkette, who laid back down, as she had her arm over her eyes, her cheeks having a tint of pink. Sakura sighed before she removed her arm, looking up at the sky, before saying, "Ino and Hinata walked in on me while I was recording a new song."

"You write music?" asked Shino. "I didn't expect that."

"What kind of music do you write?" added Choji, pulling out a bag of chips out of nowhere.

Sakura sat up on her elbows, again unknowingly brushing Shikamaru's cheek with her breasts, and said, "I don't think I have a specific kind, I just write whatever. And before any of you ask, I kinda wanted to keep this to myself -" she shot a look at Ino "- at least for a while, before I brought it up in front of you guys."

"We understand Sakura," said Neji, raising a brow at Ino. "Do not worry. Also, you must know that we want to hear you sing, but we will wait until you feel more comfortable around us before we ask you to do so." Kankuro smirked at his words.

"Judging from the way she's putting herself all over Shikamaru," he said, "she seems pretty comfortable."

Confused by what he meant, Sakura looked down at her stomach to find half of Shikamaru's face covered by her breasts. She squeaked as she pushed Shikamaru off her, covering her chest with her arms, and her face pretty much the same color as her hair. Everyone laughed as they noticed Shikamaru's expression; his face had the tiniest tint of red on the cheeks, his eyebrows were raised as if surprised by Sakura's reaction, and his lips were as if they were trying to hide a smirk. Then, out of nowhere, Shikamaru erupted in laughter. Sakura took that chance to take the boy in a headlock, causing his laughter to turn into out-of-breath cackles. Everyone stared in amusement at the scene before them, except for Lee who was cheering on the pinkette. The whole thing ended up with Kiba and Choji putting together bets as Shikamaru decided to fight back, starting up a complete wrestling match.

**:)(:**

The sky was dark now, the only light being the street lamps, and the night was filled with the sounds of cheering and shouting. Sakura, recently on the ground, flipped over the black-haired boy, straddling his waist, and pinned his arms over his head with a death grip. Somehow, Shikamaru turned them over, restraining Sakura's arms behind her back. In the end, Sakura managed to flip behind the boy, causing everyone to gasp at the sudden and bold move, and wrapped an arm around his neck, flipping him over, and landing him on the ground, still in a headlock. Shikamaru, now tired, tapped the grass repeatedly, signaling defeat. There were groans and triumphant cheers as Sakura let the boy go and helped him up. Kiba was waving his hands up in the air, beaming as he made an announcement.

"That's that everybody!" he declared. "All those who bet on Shikamaru, pay up! That means you: Choji, Ino, Temari, Shino, Kankuro, and Neji. Twenty bucks, each of you." The people that were mentioned were grumbling as they took out their wallets and pulled out some money. The rest were trying to figure out how to divide the winnings, while Sakura and Shikamaru looked at each other, clearly confused on what was going on. "Heh, you want a part of the pay Sakura?" asked Kiba. "You were the winner after all. Sorry Shikamaru."

"No thanks," replied Sakura, waving a hand. Kiba simply shrugged and then continued to count his money. Turning her attention back to Shikamaru, she smirked. "I won."

"Whatever," retorted Shikamaru. "The only reason you won is because the whole thing just got too troublesome, and I just wanted it to be over with."

"Uh huh," said Sakura, still smirking. "It was only troublesome because you know you were gunna lose."

"Do you really want to go at this?"

"Why not? You'll probably lose again anyway."

"Are you guys gunna argue all night?"

The quarreling pair looked over at Neji. He still had a somewhat pout on his face from losing the bet, but he and the others were standing and ready to leave. Taking one last look at Shikamaru, Sakura smiled at her friends. She made sure to hug Hinata before she walked off with her cousin and Gaara before he went home with his siblings. She and Ino had a playful banter about the blonde betting against the pinkette, which ended in laughter and a hug goodbye. Sakura wanted to give Lee a hug as well, even if just to be polite, but the boy just wouldn't let go, and Tenten and Shino had to force him off of her. Saying bye to her saviors, Sakura noticed that Shikamaru was the only one left.

"I thought you left," said Sakura. Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets and looked up at the starry-night sky.

"Funny," was his reply. "_I_ thought that maybe I'd walk you home."

With both eyebrows raised, Sakura sarcastically said, "Why Shikamaru! I didn't know you were such a gentleman!"

"Do you want me to walk you home or not?"

Laughing at his bluntness, Sakura nodded. She turned to start walking, but was surprised when Shikamaru grabbed her elbow. Pulling her back slightly, Shikamaru ran his finger from her elbow to her hand before intertwining their fingers. It was a good thing that it was dark out, or else he would have probably notice Sakura's blush. The walk across the field was silent, but Sakura figured that if she would speak, she would be tongue-tied; she must really have it bad for the lazy boy huh. As they made it to Sakura's front lawn, Shikamaru didn't let go; instead, he decided to walk the pinkette up the porch steps and to the wooden door. They faced each other, finally letting go of hands. Sakura decided she would break the silence.

"Thanks," '_Wow, nice one Sakura,_' she thought. '_Go on! Say something else!_' "I've only been here a week." '_…really?_'

"Yep," was Shikamaru's reply.

"You guys really make it seem longer," continued Sakura. "How can you be so comfortable around me so easily? You don't even know me that well."

"I can say the same for you," countered the black-haired boy. "You've been here – what? Six days? – and already you're wrestling with me; you're laughing with the girls as if you've been friends forever; you're on Gaara's soft side." Sakura laughed, causing him to chuckle.

"I like it though," said Sakura. "I like being friends with them, laughing with them, and hanging out with them…I like being with them. I also like…being with you."

Having a lopsided smile grace his lips, Shikamaru said, "I like being with you too." Hearing those words made Sakura's stomach do a flip, her heart skip a beat, and whatever other cliché there is out there. But at the same time, she felt her chest tighten, and she sighed.

"It's too early for this isn't it," she said, not really making it a question. "Too early to tell if – _it_ – is really there."

"Yeah," agreed Shikamaru, his smile still on his face. "Yeah, it is too early."

"So….what do you suggest we do?"

Pretending to think, Shikamaru tapped a finger on his chin while saying, "I was thinking we could just get past it and you invite me up to your room." That sentence earned him a smack on his stomach. "I'm kidding! Geez, you're so troublesome." Sakura giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"From the looks of it," she said, "being 'troublesome' is working for me."

"Barely," retorted Shikamaru with a smirk, placing his hands on her mid-back. "But to answer your question, I guess we just wait to see if we should give it a shot."

"How long do you think we should wait?"

"You're the girl. I'll leave that up to you." Sakura sighed at his response. She was thinking about this for a while now, and she didn't like with what she came up with. But after seeing Sasuke here, and after the talk with her Baba about Naruto and Sai, and her conversations with the last two, she realized she had to come to terms with a few things before she goes in deep into something.

"A year," she said.

"A year?" repeated Shikamaru, visibly surprised by her answer. "A _whole_ year? What do you need a year for?"

Sighing, Sakura replied, "I need to work some things out before I get into something serious. I need to get used to this place, and make it my home again. And, I need the time to get to know you better. I don't want to find out later on that you're some psycho-killer who kills people with pink hair or something." Shikamaru leaned his head back and let out a laugh.

"And here I thought that I kept it well hidden," laughed the boy. "Alright, you should know me well enough by now to know that I wouldn't kill anybody, especially not someone with hair as pink as yours."

"That's reassuring."

"It should be," said Shikamaru, sighing. "Fine. I'll give you a year. But I'm not happy about it."

"I know," agreed Sakura. "Me neither. But thank you."

Shikamaru rested his forehead against Sakura's, taking a step closer to the petite girl. He really didn't like her decision, but he knew that she needed it. He knew that Sasuke was one reason, and maybe the reason why she had to move back to Konoha was another, but he still didn't like it. However, she was right. There were things about the other that they just didn't know. He didn't know her whole story, and she didn't know his parents. That should be a fair trade right? Anyway, he was willing to wait. That shouldn't be too hard, especially because there won't be much work into it – unless Lee is involved. Hell will be let loose once Lee finds out, but Sakura is worth it – right? '_One way to find out,_' thought Shikamaru.

"I'll wait," whispered Shikamaru, "but I'll need you to do something for me in return. Two things actually."

Raising her brows in surprise, Sakura asked, "And what would those _two_ things be?"

"One," said Shikamaru, "is to not fall for Lee throughout the next year. If you do, I swear I will lose all the self-confidence I have, and I'll probably have to commit suicide." Sakura laughed softly, not wanting to be loud enough for her Baba to hear.

"Believe me," chuckled the pinkette, "you have nothing to worry about. Lee is great, but I think I'd rather have him as a friend than anything else. What's the second thing?"

"It's just so I can pull through the next year; so I can have something to look forward to."

"Well, what is it?" Shikamaru removed on hand from Sakura's back and gently brushed her lips with his fingertips. Before he lost his nerves, he said:

"Can I have just one kiss?"

That was unexpected. Sakura felt her eyes widen and her heartbeat go faster. The second the words left the boy's lips, Sakura knew that she would say yes, but her body wasn't going at the same speed as her brain at that second, and it definitely wasn't going at the speed of her heart. She soon started to feel that happy feeling build up inside of her and tried her best not to let out a laugh. It sort of work – she let out a tiny giggle before nodding.

Inwardly ecstatic about having her approval, Shikamaru leaned in, closing the distance between them as his lips made contact with hers. Eyes closed and hands moving to his chest, Sakura felt like she was at the top of the world. She was so focused on Shikamaru's lips that she barely even noticed his hand moving to the base of her neck while the other that was still on her back pulled her closer, pressing their lips even more. After a few seconds, Shikamaru reluctantly pulled away, once again resting his forehead on the pinkette's. Sakura was at a loss for words. It had been a simple kiss, but it was enough for her to become breathless. It was Shikamaru who got his breath back first as he smiled softly.

"Just as I thought," said Shikamaru in a husky tone. "You will definitely be worth the wait." Sakura giggled again.

"Goodnight Shikamaru," she said in a soft voice.

"Goodnight Sakura."

Unwillingly, Sakura stepped away from him, removing her hands from his chest and unlocked the door. Taking one look back, she smiled at Shikamaru as he watched her enter the house. Closing and leaning against the door, Sakura let out a sigh and waited for her heartbeat to slow down to a normal rate. She raised her fingers to her lips, thinking that the kiss was like a dream and giggled as she convinced herself that it wasn't. Yeah, the next year is going to be a struggle, but at least she was able to get an idea of what was waiting for her at the end of it. When she finally calmed down, Sakura pushed herself away from the door and went upstairs to her room. She quickly changed clothes, brushed her hair and teeth before getting under her bed sheets. She realized how late it was and figured her Baba was already sleeping, but was proved wrong when Baba entered her room and seated himself on the edge of her bed, a knowing smirk on his lips.

"Did you have fun my sweet Sakura?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, I did," answered his granddaughter, sitting up to face him. "We all got together and just hung out. It was really nice."

"Those girls, Ino and Hinata, they seem really nice."

"They are," agreed Sakura, smiling. "Ino is frustrating sometimes, but she's great at making you feel better. And Hinata is just the sweetest person in the world."

"And Shikamaru?" asked Baba. He chuckled as he caught his granddaughter off guard.

"What about Shikamaru?"

"You two were out on the porch for a while," pointed out Baba. "I saw you two walking up the lawn, and then I managed to see the fellow walk back across the field – after more minutes than necessary I believe."

"Were you spying on me Baba?" cried Sakura in disbelief, trying to hide her laughter. "I didn't expect you to be so intrusive Baba."

"I was not being intrusive," declared Baba. "If I was, then I would have gone downstairs and opened the door to interrupt whatever was going on down there." Sakura blushed at his choice of words, but giggled nonetheless.

"Well, what do you want me to tell you Baba?"

He shrugged. "I just want you to tell me what is going on," he said. "Maybe not in full details -" Sakura's blush went a deeper shade "- but I'd rather not be surprised later on."

"We're friends Baba," said Sakura. "Yeah, we had a moment, but that was it. I told him that it would be best if we stayed friends for now until I got more situated with being here and until we got to know each other more."

"Good," said Baba with a nod. "I'm glad to hear that. Did he agree to this?"

"He did," stated Sakura. "And he told me he'd wait." Sighing dreamily, Sakura placed a hand over her Baba's. "He's a really nice guy Baba. He's lazy, sarcastic, and sometimes very stubborn, but he's sweet, smart, and…he's just a really great guy."

"I'll take your word on it," said Baba. "I'm glad you're getting along well with some of your classmates Sakura, and I'm glad that you were able to meet a nice young man. I just want you to be careful. You just moved here, and I don't want you to jump into things -"

"I know Baba," interrupted Sakura. "Don't worry. I'm gunna wait it out, and see how it goes."

"Alright," said Baba. "I just thought I should say that stuff. You know, me being your grandfather and all." Sakura laughed as she rested her head on her grandfather's shoulder. "Perhaps you should invite that young man over some day, to have dinner. If he's as 'great' as you make him out to be, then I would love to meet him."

"Will do Baba," said Sakura. "Some day, I will. But for now, we both need to go to sleep."

"If you're trying to get me out of your room, you could just say so."

"Ha – goodnight Baba."

"Goodnight my sweet Sakura. Sleep well."

After placing a kiss on Sakura's forehead, Baba got up from the bed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Sakura lied back down on her pillow. She reached over the side of the bed and turned off the switch to the lamp, allowing the stars on the ceiling to glow brightly. Closing her eyes, Sakura thought back to the day's events. She thought back to her conversation with her Baba, to finishing her song, to hanging out with her friends and accidentally shoving her boobs on Shikamaru's face, to the kiss she shared with the latter on the front porch. She began to wonder if Shikamaru was thinking about the kiss as well. Or maybe he's already asleep at his house. '_I bet he's already sleeping,_' she thought, '_that lazy boy_'. Chuckling, Sakura felt herself going deeper and deeper into the darkness. Her last thought was Shikamaru's voice as she remembered his words: '_Just as I thought…You will definitely be worth the wait._'

* * *

><p>That is the end of Chapter 5! I hope you enjoyed it :) If you have any questions, let me know - <em>review<em>! I'll highly appreciate it! Until...uh, next time! :D


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